Dear Papyrus
by xentrya
Summary: When a very shocked Gabrielle wakes up one morning catching a very busy Warrior Princess and War God in the act, her perception on their relationship will be forever changed along with many other things in Xena's life...
1. Caught in the act

Dear Papyrus,

I know how strange this might sound, I mean, yeah, having a one sided conversation with a piece of paper - without actually talking, really- might just be the craziest thing I have ever done in my life, but after today's events I got to the dramatic conclusion that you're the only one who seems to understand me, definitely the only one who's willing to actually listen to me, the one and only friend to whom I can confide every single secret no matter how dark or silly, without fearing that I might be judged, without being misinterpreted….without getting split into half or pulverized- and let me just tell you that these are only few of the threats I managed to get today…

Anyway, you'll never guess what happened this morning, and before you start assuming that it has something to do with my currently inexistent love life, let me just shatter from the start your any doubt…No Prince Charming has crossed my path so far, not one single male actually- Prince Charming or not, only Joxer who's still drooling every time he sees me, but he doesn't count. At this rate I think I'll even settle for a frog… So no, my problem actually involves** Xena**…**and Ares**. Yeah, you heard me right, Ares, **God of War**….**That** Ares, out of all people…..I swear, just thinking about it, makes my stomach twist and turn in a very unpleasant way…

I made you curious didn't I? Well, trust me, you do have every reason to be, gods know I was…Come to think about it, I should have stayed out of it, from the very beginning. I just knew that he was up to something, that arrogant Bastard! I could feel it…I should have listened to my gut…My sixth sense is never wrong….I mean remember that time when I told Xena that we should keep away from any type of Roman pottage, spicy or not ? Boy was I right! Three days, **three whole days**, that's how much it lasted until we were able to walk for more than one hour without having to crap behind a bush every fifty yards! ….But let's go back to what's really bugging me….

So…how should I put this into words? ….and I call myself a Bard…As I said, everything went awfully wrong starting this morning. I woke up pretty early…Unusually early so to say, given that I'm not what they call a morning person….Actually, if there's one thing Aphrodite and I agree upon, is that **beauty sleep is crucially important**….**Ten hours** would represent the minimum of nocturne hibernation accepted….But still, today, not long after sunrise, my eyes were wide open and my ears even more perceptive than my eyes, as a very strange sound came from the other side of the camp fire….

I didn't turn around at first, trying to figure out what it was, doing my best to evaluate the gravity of the situation...How many attackers were there, and where the heck was Xena? I slowly reached my hand for the staff; whatever it was, I needed to be ready for any type of attack. Just when I was about to turn around and face the danger though, I heard them…the voices, talking….Well, it wasn't really a conversation, not a normal one anyway, if one could dare rank it like that...

" Let me get this off you, Sweetheart….Gods you're so hot….Why on earth didn't you call me earlier? " he murmured, in a low, sensual voice. And yes, the **he **I'm talking about was none other than** Ares.**

I completely froze while waiting for Xena's line…Was this really happening? Right there?! Only a few feet away from me?! With...Ares? I'm sure you can imagine my shock, right? I mean, was I missing something here?!

For a few torturously long seconds, my friend didn't say anything, she just moaned….A deep, guttural moan, that made my breath stop somewhere in between my lungs and my throat.

" Shhhh….don't move….I need to…"

" Just be gentle will you? "she pleaded, and my mind instantly starting projecting various scenarios before my eyes…..For how long was this happening behind my back?! Like** literally** behind my back…

" Have I ever been otherwise?"

" Oh please, you don't know the first thing about this! "

" I'll just pretend I didn't hear that. But keep talking. It helps….It keeps your mind busy." he replied, chuckling softly at her line. At this point, I was literally agape.

" Arghhhhhh. Gods Ares, I said **gently**…And place a bit of pressure will you…Lower…**.lower damn it!** "

"I'm doing my best here, ok? Just…stand still, I need to push this deeper….Can you turn around for me?"

" You really like talking dirty, don't you?" she answered.

They both laughed, but I could hear Xena doing exactly what he asked of her, shifting in her bedroll. …..

"Good girl…..Mmmm….This is not so bad…Can you feel this….?"

" What do you think?"

" Does it hurt…..?"

I barely held back my sneer….Did he have a mammoth cock or something? Was he** that** big? He was a God, yeah, but come on! It's not like Xena's a Hestian virgin!

"No…"

" Good…..Arch your back for me….."

" Ouch!" she exclaimed, moaning some more. I rolled my eyes at the sound, a part of me still refusing to believe that this was not some stupid dream I was having.

" Shhhh….You'll wake Blondie…Gods you're all wet…Are you sure you don't want me to take you to one of my temples or something?"

"Yes I'm sure….We can as well do it here…"

" You can be so frustratingly stubborn at times! Fine. I need you to relax, ok? This might sting a little….."

"Just push it already, I can't stand it anymore…."

" Wait….we need to do this right. The last thing I want is for you to yell at me later that I didn't do it properly…"

" I won't ..come on…."

"Look at it first. What do you think?"

" Are you gonna push it all through? Isn't it too big?"

"Just the tip…You know how it's done, you've done it a thousand times before. Are you nervous?"

" Well…given the circumstances…"

Yeah, given the circumstances…**Maybe you should have gotten a room**, **and then, there would have been no circumstances for you to worry about! **I almost shouted, furious about their ridiculous lack of respect. Having sex while someone else was snoring just on the other side of the campfire?! Who does that?! Surprises kept pouring that morning though...

"You'll live. Open your mouth….Ready?"

Another series of moans this time, **endless moans** followed, as her breath got heavier and heavier.

" Oh Gods, Ares!"

" Shhhh….Hey, don't touch it ….it will hurt like Tartarus! Be patient! Are you ok? You look a little pale…"

" I need to lie down…"

"Not yet….Just two more minutes and I'm done, ok?"

" Make it quick, I'm gonna faint soon."

A few moments passed with my friend moaning and panting and with Ares mildly encouraging her…..They sounded absolutely disgusting ….

" Here we go, Princess…..How does it feel?"

**Princess...**He called her** Princess. **I've only heard him call her that once, but as far as I could remember, she snapped at him back then, telling him how much she hated that pet name...She didn't seem to have any objections about it now, though...

" Ohhhh surprisingly good actually…..How did you do that?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you…A man has to have a few aces up their sleeve, right? That's my secret technique…."

"You really need to teach me …." she said in a pleased voice.

"If you behave, maybe I'll feel generous enough as to do just that…."

She started laughing.

" Ouch!"

" Hey! Don't move or I might push it deeper than I'm supposed to! One more time, Honey….Come on….Do you want me to tie your hands?"

**To tie her hands?** The pervert! He made me sick!

"No….I can do it…. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

This time, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that was a scream! That was definitely a scream….I instantly turned around. What was he doing to her, the savage?

…. All my senses went into alert when, jumping out of my bedroll, I noticed Xena 's ghostly visage and Ares , by her side, pulling a glowing hot iron shaft from her shoulder. He had been obviously trying to cauterize a heavily bleeding wound. I was speechless….

**CHAPTER 2 COMING UP SOON, GUYS! IN THE MEANTIME FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME IF YOU LIKED THE IDEA OR NOT:) **


	2. Favors

I instantly rushed by her side, heart thudding in my ears. The pressure in my head was immense!

"Xena?! What happened? Are you ok?!" I suddenly heard myself screaming while I somehow leaped through the air as if there had been no space separating us, a thousand questions whirling inside my head at the same time…How could I have been sleeping all this time? Why didn't she wake me up?...and most importantly, how comes Ares was with her?!

Speaking about that jerk, it was he who brought me back to reality with his trademark, acid tone. He could be such an insensitive bastard sometimes- **sometimes** meaning **all the time**, just so that you can have a clear enough picture of him….And yeah, I hate him! I could never possibly understand how Xena does it...Spending more than five minutes in his company, is pure torture! He's incredibly irritating! Beyond irritating actually….more like **unbearably exasperating**….

" Does she look** ok** to you, **Snoring Beauty?!**"

" Why didn't you wake me up?! " I asked, fully ignoring the jerk's stupid comment. He wasn't worth it…

"To do what? Read her a story…? Sing her a song…? You're a bard not a doctor!" he laughed in my face.

" And what...? Have **you** taken over Apollo's attributions as well, without me knowing it, or something ?! " I finally snapped. The imbecile! I couldn't stand him if my life depended on it!

" Well, what can I say? Unlike you, you **insignificant** mortal woman- and this might come as a surprise to you, I know- " he added, sounding even more sarcastic than moments before, if that was even possible " …**I'm a God**! Gods have powers….and **knowledge**. Get it?"

"Actually the only thing I get, is that you seem to turn more and more stupid with each passing month! " I barked, and I could just swear that for any decent human being that would have been the ultimate insult. He didn't seem to give a damn about my derisive line though, for he just kept cleaning Xena's wound.

For reasons that I couldn't possibly allow myself to consider- let alone articulate- my friend didn't utter one word about this, she just closed her eyes shut and pulled her brows into something resembling an almost aggressive frown. She didn't make the slightest effort to intervene and break our little squabble, and judging by her pained visage she wasn't planning to do it any time soon.

" And you're just getting more and more annoying. Hasn't anyone killed you yet?!"

" Are you blind or something? I look pretty much alive, don't I?" I said, taking a closer look at Xena's wound before he placed some sort of greenish herbal mixture on it.

" What is that?"

" Would you hold this for a moment and keep your mouth shut?! " he nonchalantly asked, placing a bowl in my hand. I couldn't help smelling the content. I immediately made a face at the absolutely disgusting stink coming from it.

" What is this?! Goat dump?! " I sneered, adamant about irritating the Tartarus out of him…If he wanted reasons to hate me, well I was definitely willing to give him more than one…

" You'll know for sure if you taste it! " he retorted, flashing a challenging smirk back at me, and I swear my first instinct was to spill the content of that bowl straight on top of his useless, square head!

" Is she going to be ok?" I asked in a somewhat lower and peace willing voice. He didn't seem to get the point though.

" Are you going to just stand there asking silly questions for the rest of the morning?! Go take a bath, feed Argo….fetch some food…..write a poem or whatever the fuck it is that you usually do at this time of the day!….And keep that pie hole shut already before I shut it for you! She's tired! The last thing she needs is to hear you constantly blabbing against hear eardrums!" he barked at me, in an completely uncalled for tone, eyes darkened with unjustified, barely controlled fury.

….Now you can finally understand why I wish Gods could die, dear Papyrus, can't you? Anyway, I was right about to scream back at him, revolted by the fact that he had started it all in the first place and that I had every right in the world to be worried to death about my best friend's condition- really pissed out now by his patronizing attitude- when something extremely peculiar drew my attention….As if waking up from a deep, long slumber, Xena opened her eyes. They were red from the tears, fatigue and pain. She tried to sketch a smile while briefly looking at me, but she failed miserably, and my heart stopped beating for a few seconds. Then, she frowned again, and slowly raised her hand- the expression of Atlas straining to hold the globe on his back, engraved on her chalk white figure. She softly caressed Ares' arm for a few moments, and it seems as if that was enough for him to stop what he was doing for a split second and focus his still burning eyes on my silently wondering, restless moons.

"She's not out of the woods yet, but with a bit of luck , she will be. She needs to rest, she needs to stay out of the heat and the dust. She can't possibly travel. " he said, in a surprisingly calm and professional tone, only to shift his gaze towards my friend when he heard something that sounded like some sort of protest forming in her throat.

" You heard me!"

" He's right Xena…As I can tell it, you've lost some blood, huh? We should find an inn and spend a few days there, just until you recover.." I defensively added when I noticed her displeased expression.

" I'm fine, Gabrielle! Don't worry! It's just a scratch!" she contradicted, exactly like I had been expecting her to.

"No you're not** fine**, and that ugly hole you have through your shoulder is **definitely** not **a scratch**! " Ares cut in, throwing her a nasty glare. " And an inn is out of the question, Blondie! Which part out of **she can't possibly travel**, has failed to reach your brain?"

"Well…you're a God! Can't you heal her?!" I broke out, once again, irked by his constant anti social attitude.

"Were you born without the standard number of neurons, Bard?" he asked, just to shift again to that low, strikingly pacifist tonality when Xena's hand squeezed his arm. "I can't do it without my bitchy sister's blessing….**Athena**?! You might have heard of her…" he explained the last part through greeted teeth, making sure to once again focus his attention on my wounded friend a moment later. " Ok, Princess, here we go….Now , I need you to sit up a bit. I have to wrap the bandage. " Can you give me a hand?" he asked, and I could swear he only did it to humor Xena, since I'm pretty sure he could have tied that piece of cloth all by himself without any additional help. I did what he asked though, my head still spinning with yet unanswered questions.

"So uh…." I hesitantly started, worriedly caressing Xena's hair. " If the inn's not an option, what do you suggest?"

"I have a temple nearby."

Needless to say, I was stunned. Not by the fact that he had a temple, obviously, but because he was actually offering us shelter there.

"A temple?" I asked, unable to believe my ears.

" Yeah, You know, a large, marble building serving primarily …"

"I know what a temple is, Ares!" I acidly spat, inhaling deeply when once again I noticed Xena's exhausted face. " I'm just surprised that you're willing to help us, that's all…"

" I'm not **helping** you. I happen to owe Xena a favor…."

"Oh yeah…." I casually retorted. "** Sisiphus**….the sword…She got your **manhood** …ahh….**godhood** back. Sorry.." I mockingly corrected myself, a proud, victorious smile fluttering on my lips.

" Was that supposed to be funny?"

"Yeah, actually….Too bad you have a terrible sense of humor…"

"Too bad you can't tell a joke right…"

" Would you two stop fighting already? I'm not going anywhere!" Xena finally spoke, making an effort to get up. Ares stopped her immediately though, pushing her forcefully back down.

"Oh no you don't! You're wounded Xena! If that injury gets infected you could lose that arm, and you know I'm right! "

I stood in silence for a few moments, waiting for what I would have expected to be an equally volcanic reply, that never came.

" The world still needs a hero for the following decade…You can't possibly let Jerkules get all the laurels!" he tried to reason with her, and to my surprise she actually chuckled at his idiotic commentary.

"You're such a manipulative Bastard!" she jokingly answered, shaking her head at him. "Is it ok with you?" she then had the courtesy to ask, waiting for my decision.

"Sure. Whatever helps…." I mumbled, still unsure whether I was supposed to join her or not.

"Good." Ares concluded in a relieved tone. " So…grab your bags, parchments , quill and whatever else you feel like bringing along…Preferably whatever keeps you busy…." he added, and I simply rolled my eyes at him again.

Within a blink, a dazzling silver light engulfed us, projecting us at an incredible speed to the other side of the forest where the War God's temple was located….Trust me, the following days, marked me for life…And yes, it was only later that I started asking myself why in Gaia's name couldn't he have transported us to that inn the same way he transported us to the temple...A question for future generations to answer, I guess...


	3. To be or not to be

The whole world was still spinning around me- along with those few fortunate neurons that had miraculously managed to survive Ares' barbaric means of transportation, and that were in their turn aimlessly revolving around my squashed brain- a full minute after the roaring vortex dropped me to the ground like a flat pumpkin pie.

Due to the startlingly rough encounter with the perfectly polished surface of the temple floor, I could still see bright white circles -of various sizes- flashing in front of my eyes as I blinked, floating like clouds, bending and twisting, turning into squares and diamonds….all that, despite having intensely rubbed my eyes a couple of times- and yes, it took my hand awhile to find my face, of course, but eventually, I reached my goal.

With the gestures of a hopeless, unrecoverable alcoholic, I struggled to unglue myself from the marble tiles, but my aching, bruised body obstinately refused to obey my silent command with the desired promptitude. When I finally did make it, I had to rub my eyes again and shake my head in disbelief as my shocked gaze finally managed to focus on something- and yes, that **something** happened to be the **War God**- the same rude bastard that had insulted me all morning long, for no reason at all except getting on my nerves.

Believe it or not, but, as if in slow motion, I could see his perfectly shaped, muscular arms closing around Xena, sure and strong, and, cradling her against his chest with so much infinite care as if she had been made out of spun glass- definitely as if she had been his most prized possession- he carried her towards the bed…. Totally ridiculous I know, for that would actually imply that Ares might have somehow developed something vaguely resembling to feelings overnight- no matter how primitive…- which he obviously hasn't….

Hardly had I got my mind to accept the fact that the theatrically unfolding scene was indeed real- but don't really take my word on this dear Papyrus, cause I don't know if it was because of that disturbing, constant buzzing in my ears – triggered by the growing nausea that had suddenly taken over me- or Fates know what other peculiar reason, but I could swear I heard him murmuring a worried **"Just a few more steps, Love….hang on, we're almost there."** as they headed for the bed.….I must have started hearing things, though…Bards are known to have very rich imagination…

With unsure, clumsy steps, I followed right behind them, desperately looking for support. The first marble column that got into my way a moment later and the surprisingly solid wooden bedpost- and thank all merciful Gods that it was solid indeed, cause I literally had to hold on to it for dear life in a last effort to crawl till the edge of the soft, fluffy mattress- proved to have a crucial importance in my adventurous quest to the other side of the room. …I felt as if a war wagon had run over me, and no, I'm definitely not overreacting….If that accursed piece of furniture had been just one step away I wouldn't have made it on it- not in a conscious state anyway.

Neither Xena nor Ares seemed to worry about me in the meantime though, my wounded friend being probably too much in pain to even think straight, as for the jerk, he was visibly too preoccupied with making her feel as comfortable as possible.

"Right….don't mind me…It's not like I've just broken every bone in my body or something…." I sarcastically commented, vainly trying to get some attention- to no avail of course. The only thing I unexpectedly managed to achieve was in fact to take a good look inside my soul….I didn't really like what I saw….I was pathetic….

" But no need to worry…I'll live…." I felt the need to add while dramatically waving my hand as if someone was actually listening to me…

" Are you comfortable?" the War God's smooth voice pulled me out of my discontent for a moment, just to throw me in an ever deeper abyss when I realized that he wasn't talking to me…..

"Yes, thank you…"

"You're frowning…Is it **that** bad ?" I heard him say, bits of conversation reaching my ears while my still hazy gaze began scrutinizing the room. Where were the skeletons, the blood on the walls? Where were the swords, the heads decorating the entrance doors? The War God's temples were supposed to be terrifying! Legends were told about them by the accursed souls that have had the misfortune to get past the altar room and soldiers could swear that constant wailing and heartbreaking cries could be heard at nighttime from his gloomy sanctuaries…

Taking a look around though, this room appeared to have nothing in common with the tenebrous descriptions I have heard over the years, on the contrary…It looked surprisingly elegant and….almost cozy….

" Stop worrying, Ares. I'll be fine.."

" Which means that right now you're **anything but**. " he implied, the confidence reverberating from his words making me suddenly focus my attention on their almost whispered dialogue.

" I guess the antidote has started to work…. My arm is burning. And I can hardly feel my shoulder. "

"**Antidote?!** Did you say **antidote?!**" I suddenly exclaimed, my terrible headache dissipating in less than a split second, paying little, close to no attention to Ares' suddenly petrified visage.

My friend looked at me with restless eyes but answered in her usual unaffected voice, obviously not wanting me to panic.

"The arrow was poisoned. It's not a big deal…" she immediately replied, but I could clearly see how her body stiffened at the lie.

" **Not a big deal?!** You could have died, Xena! Had that arrow hit just an inch lower…" I started, my voice breaking before I could finish the line…The though alone was unbearable.

"But it didn't…" she mildly contradicted, offering me a warm, comforting smile to sweeten the situation.

"**Not today. **" Ares mumbled through clenched teeth, his gaze- almost furious, I think- sharpening at the sound of his own conclusion. What was he even** furious** about?!

" Please don't…Not now….just save it for later…." she murmured, closing her eyes for a moment, and once again I thought that my hearing had been playing tricks one me…I definitely must have misinterpreted this one…

" Who attacked you?" I anxiously asked, not wanting to miss my chance. This was the first moment today when I was actually receiving some actual information about what had happened.

"Ares says they were Assyrian mercenaries…." she unhurriedly explained.

"Sent to kill **you**?! But why? Who would have ordered you killed?!" I fired away, frowning at the perspective. Someone had tried to kill her while I was peacefully dreaming about the flowery fields of Potidaea…..I'm still ashamed to admit it….I suck as a warrior….

" _You've got to take me with you. Teach me everything you know. You can't leave me here in Poteidaia. I want to go with you!. I've studied the stars, spoken with philosophers. I have the gift of prophecy. They can be very valuable to you. Take me with you. I want so much to be like you." _ my own words echoed painfully inside my head- still do by the way…Thinking about it now, I can't help laughing at my own naivety….How could I ever be able to do anything right if I keep snoring like a hibernating bear while there's a full scale war going on just a few yards away from me?!

"Gabrielle?"

"Yeah…." I automatically answered, a bit startled by the light touch on my shoulder.

"Are you ok?!"

" You almost died….And I didn't do anything to help you…." I broke out, heavy regret in my voice.

" Relax….I'm sure you'll get your fair chance to kill her sooner or later…." Ares once again intervened, and by the nine muses, I wanted so much to strangle him that I could barely control myself .

"You're shivering…" he then added- in that awkwardly tender voice- pulling the blanket over Xena, his steady eyes trapping hers for what seemed to last forever and a day.

" ….It's strange….My arm and chest are burning, but I'm freezing…" she answered, and looking at her , I just couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something….The way their gazes connected…the way in which they talked to each other, as if they had done this hundreds of times before….

"It's because of the blood loss. " he casually rationalized, leaning in and touching her forehead with the back of his hand, just like a concerned father would to for his sick child, checking her temperature, his index briefly tracing her eyebrow as he pulled away….She didn't even flinch at his touch, not once- and if there's one thing I know about Xena, is that she doesn't like to be touched….

I couldn't help staring like a blind bat at the scene. Why was he suddenly acting all interested in her welfare?! Just because he owed her a favor didn't mean that he also had to pretend that he cared….

" No sign of infection so far…."

"It's still to early to tell.." she grimly retorted, taking in a deep breath.

" Xena….I wish there were something I could do…" I finally spoke, trying hard not to burst into tears.

Once again, Ares couldn't keep his acid comments to himself. To all appearances he was doing everything in his powers to piss me off.

"You could try and speed up the effect of the antidote!"

"I wasn't talking to you!" I bit, angrily wiping away a tear that was rolling down my cheek.

" You're here, Gabrielle….That's all I need." Xena kindly replied, shaking my inner world so much that a raging river of salty tears began washing my face the very following second. I felt so…useless…..

"Oh Xena! I'm so scared! I almost lost you today….And that antidote….what if it doesn't work?!"

" Oh great! That's just great! Mourning her in advance would certainly solve everything! ….I mean… the power of tears has always been…**magical!** It will work wonders on her, I'm sure…"he mocked with a half laugh.

" Do you always have to act like a moron?"

" Yep…"

"Well, let me just tell ya' that courtesy hasn't killed anyone so far!...and neither has** change**! Maybe you should give it a try one of these days!"

" Why would I make the effort, again?"

"Because that's what normal people do!"

" Thank the Fates I don't fit into the category then!"

" Cut it out you two!" Xena finally sighed, probably too exhausted to stand our endless bickering "Ares…..! " she scolded in a harsh, motherly tone.

"Ok, ok! " he apologetically retorted, casting me a **whatever** type of glare. I couldn't help smiling widely at Xena for having stood up for me.

"Hey! Don't feel** too** happy about it. She's a bit delirious from the poison. But with the antidote and all, she'll come around soon."

I parted my lips to say something but there was no point in doing it….He was just too stupid to even fight back. I wisely decided to drop it.

" I'm thirsty…" I suddenly heard my friend murmur. Her lips were indeed dried and frighteningly bluish.

"Do you want me to bring you some water?"

" Could you?"

"Sure! Whatever I can do to help! Is there a fountain nearby?... Or a spring?"

" ...Just walk down the corridor and take the first left…. You'll get to a large, cobbled yard. There's a beautifully carved granite fountain right in the center…You can't miss it…"

" Scream if you fall in it….I'll save you…**eventually**" Ares yelled behind me, but I sailed out without a word, limiting my reaction to a nasty glare thrown over my shoulder. I was done giving him the satisfaction of another victory…

Boiling with frustration, I let out a heavy sigh as Xena's somewhat amused smile invaded my troubled mind. Did she really find his childish behavior funny?

Nonetheless, as I followed the corridor, a considerably more intriguing question started bugging my highly alert brain . … How did she know where the fountain was? Had she been there before?! ….

I slowly shook my head and my eyes narrowed a bit while filtering some ideas….

"Her tonality was so strange….so…" I heard myself voicing out….It was a good thing that there was no one else around to hear me …".She was just so…. **familiarized** with the place, as if…." I kept mumbling to myself while forcing my brain to make the right connections…And then it hit me….

"…As if she had lived here…."


	4. As blind as a bat

With that thought screaming wildly into my head, I somehow made it to the fountain, while stubbornly fighting to push it away from my overly active mind….I was probably more delirious than Xena was at the moment- to think that she had actually lived here….How could she have ? Yes, she and Ares must have shared a bit of history, she was a warrior after all and he was the God of War- they must have met on the battlefield, they might have even been allies at some point in the past, but from there to her living in his temple…..

" That's just ridiculous….." I sneered out loud, as if wanting to convince myself of how far fetched my idea was in the first place.

" I couldn't agree more. " I suddenly heard, as the pointed tip of what must have been a really sharp sword stung me straight in the back, making me instantly turn around, despite the life threatening danger I was in.

" Who are you?!" I instinctively asked, gazing in wonder at the amazingly beautiful priestess standing before me.

" I think that was supposed to be my line. What are you doing in my Lord's temple? If you're here to make an offering, the altar room is in the opposite direction." she casually let me know, scanning my face with narrowed, suspicious eyes.

"I'm not here to make an offering. I'm here with my friend, Xena. She was hurt. Ares brought her here" I clarified, letting out a heavy sigh as all the fears in the world suddenly started to take over my heart again. "I came for some water..." I added, showing her the jar I was holding.

"**My Lady Xena** is here?" she immediately inquired, shock written all over her face.

I hesitated a bit, probably even more shocked than she was by the title that she had used to address her.

" ….Yes?" I mumbled, not really knowing if we were even speaking about the same person or not, and I had certainly missed the moment when she had dropped the sword from her hand, letting it fall nosily to the ground.

" Oh Gods, have mercy on us!" she breathed out in strangled voice, panic washing over her strikingly confident visage. " I have to worn the others!"

" Wait! " I said, grabbing her arm, trying to calm her down. "There's nothing to fear…" I started, naturally supposing that my friend's tumultuous past was once again getting in our way. " Xena is not the same person anymore…She has changed…she's fighting for a better world now….."

She kept staring at me with the same horrified eyes until she finally broke free from my grasp, and it seemed as what I had just told her made absolutely no difference, cause she only looked even more alarmed by the perspective of living under the same roof with the Warrior Princess.

" She might have changed, I couldn't possibly know that…..But one thing I do know….My Lord hasn't!" she replied in a cold, slightly shaky voice , and next thing I knew she started running towards the other side of the yard.

"Hey! Wait!...you don't understand! " I yelled behind her, but she didn't even look back….

"What was that all about?" I asked myself, frowning at just how weird that conversation had been….

Her words kept replaying inside my head, over and over again while I returned with a jar full of water back to the room where my friend was waiting for me, trying to make as little noise as possible down the corridor, not wanting to disturb her just in case that she had fallen asleep or something, despite the fact that only a couple of minutes had passed since I had left her….

I finally stopped in front of the large wooden door. I gently cracked it open, and I was right about to enter when Ares' unmistakable voice stopped me dead in my tracks.

" ….well because she's right Xena! How in Tartarus did you fail to catch it, anyway?" he asked, and as I took a peek inside, I saw that he was pacing back and forth in front of her bed, looking utterly displeased at her.

" Ares come on! You saw that arrow…..how incredibly light it was…like nothing I have ever seen! It hardly made any noise! I couldn't have caught it!" she replied, and it seemed to me that she was trying to defend herself….or more like to justify her actions….

The God was pissed.

" **Yes** you could have! You **should have!** " he roughly accused, leaving me agape.

"What's wrong with you? It could have happened to any warrior…"

" **Not to you!** You're not just **any **warrior Xena!"

"I'm sorry! " she exclaimed, exasperated by the whole situation.

A pang of uneasiness swept over me as I heard her say those words…What was she even sorry for? Why in Hades was she apologizing **to him**? And her voice….was she crying…..?

He just let out a heavy sigh and took a seat on the edge of the bed, by her side, shaking his head as he kept looking at her with the gaze of a hungry predator that was getting ready to devour its prey, an impossible to explain mixture of anger, relief and veneration in his troubled eyes. With frantic, hectic gestures, he began caressing her long , silky hair before he casually moved to drying her tears- that from where I was positioned I couldn't possibly notice- with the back of his hand.

" You should get some rest….Once you're healed, by the Styx, Princess, you'll be catching a thousands of those arrows , eyes closed. Hephaestus will be definitely busy these days….." he commandingly let her know, in a remarkably calmer tonality though.

She didn't say anything, she just glanced down, at the blanket, refusing to look at him, biting her lower lip as if she were struggling not to burst into tears. I was speechless….For one year we have been travelling together and I don't really know if I've seen her shedding a tear once …What was this influence he had on her?!

" Shhhhhh….. Hush Love. " he finally said, reaching for her, pulling her into his arms, and his words struck me like nails hammered into my heart.

She didn't sketch one single gesture of refusal, not even the slightest intention that she wasn't ok with him comforting her…She just wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him draw her even closer, tightening his embrace as he kept smoothing her tumbled hair, delicately caressing her back.

" I'm sorry…I'm sorry…." she kept murmuring, against his shoulder, a thousand different thoughts assaulting my mind now. What was really going on there? She hated him! She hated everything that he represented- I know because she told me so, countless times before! She was disgusted with his ways and methods…the carnage, the blood….the selfish, senseless wars...And still, there she was, crying in his arms arms, for something that I couldn't even get myself to understand….

"It's ok...it's ok, Sweetheart...You just scared me to death, that's all..."

By now, I was really determined to barge inside and demand some serious explanations when Ares decided to break their embrace, abruptly putting a bit of distance between them, and, taking her hands in his, he brought them up to his lips, delicately pressing kisses all over their creamy surface.

" **Thank you**….for calling me…" he simply stated moments later, searching for her eyes, tilting her chin up when she avoided his gaze. "…I know it must have been a hard decision to make given our complicated past, but….**.thank you**…." he continued in a genuinely sincere tone, and my hand froze on the craftily carved patterns of the door, literally unable to get myself to enter the room….

And now I gotta ask you dear Papyrus, what has she been hiding from me all this time? Haven't I proven myself worthy of her trust so far?! Why was **he** thanking **her?** If **she** had called **him**, asking for help- him out of all people, an old, declared enemy- she should have been thanking him, not the other way around…..I must have been indeed as blind as a bat all this time…Am I losing my mind here?

**WHAT DO YOU THINK GUYS? SHOULD WE GIVE THE BARD SOME SPICY DETAILS ABOUT OUR FAVORITE COUPLE? :)) **


	5. Sex explains everything

******THAT EXPLANATION WOULD HAVE TO WAIT SOME MORE, MAREITT :)) *****

I finally cleared my throat as I entered, the distinct feeling that I was intruding, that I shouldn't have been there, lingering even minutes after I returned.

I hesitantly stopped a few steps away from the bed, patiently waiting for her to say something. I could almost physically feel the tension in the air, and as Ares got up, freeing the place by her side for me, things only got weirder….

"So uh….I brought you the water….." I rushed to say, suddenly anxious to shift the focus from me to anything else.

" Thank you…" she murmured, stretching out her hand to take a small cup from the nightstand, and I almost jumped from the bed, grabbing it for her. I just felt so guilty for not having been there for her when she was attacked that at that point there was nothing I wouldn't have done for her…." Here. Let me! " I kindly said, pouring some water and offering it to her.

Her lips barely touched the silver rim of the cup and, one sip later, she hand it back to me….

I frowned a bit at the awareness that she must have lied to me only to get some alone time with Ares, and that she was anything but thirsty, but I didn't make any comment about it….Maybe I was just being paranoid and maybe she was so much in pain that she could barely drink….

" So uh….are you comfortable enough? Is there anything that I could do?!" I asked, in a rather nervous voice.

"Gabrille…." she started, and I knew that tone. " Would you please stop worrying? I'm not gonna die…It was just an arrow to the shoulder. In a few days I'll be all better, so please relax. I hate to see you all upset like this…"she pleaded, and despite the absolutely unusual conversation I had heard but a few minutes before, I couldn't help smiling at her….I loved her so much!

I was just about to answer, eager to tell her about the unusual conversation I had at the fountain, when, a discreet knock on the door made us shift our curious gazes in the direction of the sound. Moments later, my lips parted in surprise, when none other than the mysterious priestess whose words had had such a great impact on my peace of mind- entered the room.

" You called, my Lord?" she addressed Ares, bowing her head respectfully, without making eye contact, her gaze glued to the floor. "My Lady…" she courteously saluted Xena, in the same humble but graceful manner.

"I did, Draja. " he said, staring blankly at her.

I briefly glanced at Xena, only to notice a very surprising expression on her face….one that I hadn't seen before- one that I couldn't really name, but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with **power**….

I involuntarily frowned again, but this time, it was the War God's statement that had painted it on my forehead….When did he call her? I had been standing behind that door for quite some time, and he was waaaay too busy** talking** to my friend to even think about anything else…..Plus, I had just seen this same woman in the yard and she had ran afterwords in the exact opposite direction the moment I mentioned Xena's name…..How could he have called her?

Anyway, dear Papyrus, the War God's voice pulled me immediately out of my musings when he started braking his orders to her.

" Xena and her friend, Gabrielle, will be spending a few days at the temple, as my guests. You will be at their beck and call. Whatever Xena wants, it will be done, no questions asked. Make sure you let the other girls know. Did I make myself clear?" he asked in a commanding, but not yet harsh voice.

She simply nodded, offering him a half smile,that looked incredibly fake to me.

"Look at me." he commanded, and when their gazes met, what I saw in her eyes took me completely by surprise….pure terror mixed with a boundless, barely veiled fascination …

"Of course , my Lord" she voiced, her eyes sparkling with the childish joy of a little girl staring through the large show window of a toy shop…..She was in love with him, the realization finally washed over me, as I kept staring dumbly at her, not quite trusting my own eyes….She was head over heals in love….but why on earth was she scared of him, then?

"Good. There are some things I need to take care of, so I'll be away for a few hours. If there's anything you need….." he then continued, without really finishing his line, his gaze once again connected with Xena's - the perfect moment for my inquisitive eyes to scan the priestess' visage…Her gaze had returned to its previous occupation - that of fixating the marble floor- and she looked as impassive as a marble statue, barely breathing if one would ask…..

Before I knew it, the War God had vanished into thin air, and finally, I could feel at ease around my friend, without constantly feeling his burning eyes drilling a hole through my head.

" Draja…" Xena's voice immediately reminded me that we were still in **his** temple, so even if he wasn't there anymore, in a way, his presence still lingered…..It sounds, stupid, I know, but that's what it felt like….

"My Lady…." the woman answered, without looking up, but taking a few steps in the direction of the bed. " I'm a bit cold. Could you bring me a robe , please?"

" Of course" she replied right away, heading for the large armoire, placed on the opposite wall. " Would you like cotton, silk or lace, my Lady? "

"Cottton.."

" Claret, turquoise or charcoal?"

"The claret one would do just fine…"

" My Lord's favorite. He will be pleased to see you wearing it again…." she commented and I could see Xena's face hardening at what had been the poor woman's colossal indiscretion. **Again? **

"Thank you, Draja. " she simply said, glaring daggers at her as she approached the bed.

"Could I help you put it on? " she then asked, making brief eye contact, just to stare back at the floor the moment she realized what she was doing. As usual, Xena's cold, cerulean moons proved to be utterly intimidating...

" There's no need to. Gabrielle can help me…"

"As you wish my lady….Is there anything else I can do for you?"

" Prepare a room for Gabrielle…Not **too** far from this one." she ordered, and it might have been my paranoia again, but I might have heard her emphasize that _**too**__ far _a bit too much for my taste…..As if she could have offered me a room right next to hers, and yet, she preferred to put a bit of distance between us…..

Once again , I shook the thoughts away….That was a very stupid thing to believe, and I was probably an awful friend to even allow such ideas poison my mind….

" I could sleep here with you, if you want…" I suggested, affectionately covering her hand with mine.

" No…You should rest properly. Plus, you heard Ares. If there's anything I need, the girls would be more than willing to help…"

"Certainly…." the priestess approved, smiling formally at us both.

"That would be all for now. " Xena made sure to specify, and it was all she needed to say for the woman to gracefully head out the door.

Now, I know I wasn't supposed to start asking a million questions on the subject, dear Papyrus…I mean, Xena and heart to heart talks don't really have anything in common, but I just couldn't help it…She wasn't going to shatter all those doubts voluntarily, that was for sure, so I was going **to make her** give me at least a couple of details on what I wanted to know….

"Xena….."

"Yeah…?" she asked absently, too focused with staring at the robe the woman had left her. I gladly helped her slip that dark, blood stained shift off her first, doing my best to avoid having her move her wounded shoulder too much, trying to spare her any necessary pain.

" ...that priestess….."

"What about her?"

"I saw her at the fountain today.." I confessed, wondering if it was a good idea to tell her about our little conversation or not.

"You did?" she said, not sounding at all intrigued about it.

"Yeah….She acted very strange when I told her that I was here with you…"

"Strange how?"

" She looked….**terrified- **that would be the word. At first I thought it had to do with your reputation, but then, she said something…" I explained, taking place on the bed, by her side. Her face was a mask. I couldn't possibly guess what she was feeling or thinking….That was Xena all right….

"What did she say?"

"Well, when I told her that she had nothing to fear, that you have changed….She said that you might have done so, but Ares certainly hasn't….." I stated, watching her every move, every shade passing on the surface of her enigmatic moons…..There was nothing unsual in them though….."What do you think she meant by that?"

" I have no idea…" she sternly answered, but I could feel she was lying.

" Hmmmm…." I concluded, pulling the blanket back over her. "And...while we're at it...why is Ares suddenly so…..**helpful**? Is it only because **he owes you**, as he put it?"

This time, she seemed to give her answer some thought. She was probably choosing her words, wondering what I was driving at…

"Well….we did help him with Sisyphus, didn't we? ….If it hadn't been for us, he would be still drinking himself to oblivion in some cheap tavern outside Athens…"

" Stilll…you two….he doesn't behave like the standard enemy, you know? "

" What exactly is it that you're asking , Gabrielle?" she finally articulated, a straightforward question, that left me totally speechless for a couple of seconds….

" I know you don't like to talk about your past and all, but….were you and Ares…Did you…..Not as in **now**…." I began blabbering, just to suddenly stop as I realized I wasn't really making sense.

I tried not to blush as I finally spat it out.

" **Have you and Ares ever had sex?** I know it's personal, but….it would explain a lot of things…." I uttered, wishing I could take it all back the very following moment…..

"What?! What things?" she inquired, but I could see I had hit a nerve.

"**A lot** of things…." I answered after careful consideration…" Us being** here** out of all places, the way he's always looking at you…this unbelievable urge of his to help you…I don't know...Is it only my imagination, or…? I mean….he framed you for murder, Xena!"

"I uh…."

" Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be judgmental here, I just want to understand …I mean sure, Ares might not be the best looking guy on the planet, but maybe he was at the right place at the right moment…Was that it? You're just human, after all, you do have needs …I could understand that…"

" What is that supposed to mean?"

"Not what it sounded like…Though, it must have been a one night stand right?...And he has been obsessing over you ever since- but you must have surely realized he had been nothing but a huge mistake and.."

" I wouldn't really call it** a one night stand**…." she calmly contradicted, shifting a bit under the covers.

"Oh…." I breathed, rethinking my options...I literally had like a virtual list in my mind. I just chose the next best scenario "So **you** were** drunk**….Of course! How couldn't I think about that? You used to spend most of your time with soldiers- men usually drink in the evening around the campfires- so you must have gotten drunk one night and he took advantage of your ….vulnerability….."

"That's not how it happened, Gabrielle…He wasn't …"

"You were **both** drunk?! Sure…well... that makes sense too, I guess…You couldn't possibly control it….Your brains could have easily mistaken hate for attraction right? You know the old saying…**from hate to sex** there's only one step…"

" I thought it was **from love to hate**…"

"It was clearly not the case…" I quickly clarified, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Gabrielle…"

She was trying to deny it, but I wasn't planning on letting her keep secrets from me any longer.

"One thing led to another, right…? And…here we are! As for Ares…."

"Gabrielle, stop it! We **were not drunk!**" she almost yelled at me, but as I scanned her face, I noticed that she wasn't angry…She was just trying to get my attention.

"You weren't?!"

"No …!"

" You mean….Oh Gods, Xena! **Did he force himself** **on you**? Is that it? **The bastard!** I knew it!" I blew out, and I could have killed that son of a bachae then and there if he had dared make an appearance.

Once again though, Xena was keen on proving me wrong….Getting her to talk about herself has always been a chore, dear Papyrus, but this…this was ….close to impossible…She just refused to open up to me, and she kept going from one lie to the other. Why was it so hard for her to admit that that good for nothing insolent jerk had used her in the lowest of ways? It's not like she was to blame for what had happened…

"Do I look like the type of woman that could be forced into doing anything? And would I still be here, in his bed if that were the case?"

"This is **his** bed?..."

For a moment, I was shocked! Once again, I could feel my heart pounding in my temples.

How did she know** that** was** his** bed?...A logic explanation shed light on my gloomy perspective though….

"Oh! Of course it's **his** bed…I mean, it's **his temple** after all…**All beds are his**…including the priestesses. " I finally uttered, blushing slightly at the awareness that I had just managed to make a fool out of myself for the thousandth time that day…

"He didn't force me to do anything I didn't want to, Gabrielle! I was very young when I met him…"

I was even more stunned than before, now….Speechless, really!

" **The pedophile! " **I eventually exploded in a revolted tone, hugging my traumatized friend.

"By Gaia, Xena! That's just disgusting! He sure looks like the type to take advantage of a young girl's innocence! How could he?!"

"He …."

" Shhh…don't say anything. You don't need to explain! I shouldn't have asked in the first place! I'm sorry! I get it now…He wants to make it up to you for all he's done…"

"Yeah. Ares is on his own redemption path…" she finally confessed, but thinking back about it now, I swear **that** was sarcasm I detected in her voice…

And just when I was about to say some words of wisdom on how even Gods can make mistakes, the priestess interrupted us again.

" My Lady, your friends' room is ready."

"Thank you Draja! " Xena immediately replied, looking almost relived at the news.

" Gabrielle, if it's ok with you, I'd like to get some sleep, I'm dead bet." she added, sweetly caressing my cheek.

" Sure Xena, sure. You should definitely rest. I'll just go grab a bite to eat and check out the temple"

" Ok. See you later."

" If there's anything you need , just call. I'll come running." I said, making sure that she got the message.

"Sure thing.."

Huh! Can you believe my luck, dear Papyrus?! It was the perfect moment to start digging for information!


	6. All wet

**SO LET'S ENJOY THE HUMOR FOR A FEW MORE CHAPTERS...AFTERWARDS WE'LL BE MOVING ON TO MORE SERIOUS STUFF:))) **

Ok….so….you must be wondering what my devious little plan was, right? Let me just tell you dear Papyrus that I didn't really have a plan….Not at that moment at least- an unfortunate situation that didn't last long though, cause as soon as I walked past the temple baths, the second I heard the zingy voices of a few priestesses chatting, it hit me….What better way to get the precious information I needed than tricking Ares' own servants into spitting everything out? I am a Bard after all, I do have the gift of making people open up to me….and more….

With slow, cautious steps, I entered the huge, uniquely textured bathroom, and as I advanced on the slippery, perfectly polished floor , I couldn't help taking a mental note at how luxurious everything was- like nothing I had ever seen before that's for sure. Cleopatra herself would have been green with envy had she seen all those amazingly rare and delicate details personalizing the space….From sheepskin rugs, velvet curtains, and spectacularly large mirrors to Oriental ivory statues and impressive mosaic title designs decorating the walls, everything was enhanced to perfection by the warm light of the bluish candles surrounding the water basin ….It was like a fantasy…like a dream…- a surprisingly nice dream given that just a day before I could have bet my staff that asshole lived in a cave !

" Who are you? " the stunned voice of one of the women pulled me out of my trance, and I quickly turned my head her way, just to find a pair of rebellious dark brown eyes staring at me with a hard to ignore harshness.

" Hallo.." I answered, rather timidly, not really sure whether trying to approach them without a well thought strategy was a good idea or not. ." ….my name is Gabrielle. I'm Ares' guest... Xena's friend. Xena…**.the Warrior Princess**? You might have heard of her…she's quite famous…."

Suddenly, not even one splash of water could be heard. Everyone was dead silent.

" Indeed she is…" the priestess standing before me remarked- pricked with sudden annoyance one might add- turning her back at me before stating anything else and letting the towel she had been holding around herself drop casually at her feet. With light, graceful steps- that kinda reminded me of Draja's seductive way of walking- she entered the hot, steamy water without as much as a glance behind.

"Care to join us?" a fabulous blonde asked, casting me a curious, wondering once over.

" I don't want to intrude…I was lost and I was looking for my room…." I nonchalantly lied, keeping my fingers crossed while waiting for their answer.

" Nonsense! You're not intruding. You're Lord Ares' guest….You are more than welcome to join us if you'd like…" a curly brunette- probably in her early twenties added, and judging by the sparkle in her eyes she probably had her own agenda…Perfect! It looked as if I had already found a trustful ally!

Before the others got the chance to intervene, I just offered them all a friendly, heart melting smile, and , about one minute later, I was impudently invading their privacy. I couldn't care less if they found my presence thrilling or not. No one could keep me away now from my invaluable source of information…..

" Oh Gods! How I needed a bath…..!" I exclaimed once the lavishing sensation of the wonderfully scented water and the soft foam touched my skin…It was heaven….I really needed this… It was a long day…" I explained, once I noticed that malicious, contemptuous look in their eyes…It wasn't as if I hadn't taken a bath in…ages! For crying out loud, only three days before Xena and I had found a surprisingly clean lake by the edge of the forest…

"So uh….." I started, trying to break their snake like focus and direct their attention on more important things- like that unusual connection that I couldn't possibly understand between my ever so secretive friend and the God of War. " Have you been in Ares' service for a long time?"

"Not long enough…" one of them giggled, blushing instantly at her own statement, making the other three burst into a heartfelt laughter.

" Oh…." I grimaced, doing my best to smile at her ridiculously dumb confession…... For the life of me, I had no idea why they were laughing in the first place…

" She doesn't get it…." the brunette finally said, and they just kept on laughing, probably even more amused than before by my now clueless expression. They were absolutely infuriating…

" Well, how could she? Had she had the sacred privilege of knowing our Lord more…**intimately**, she would have certainly got the point…."

"Ares and I? Oh puhleaseeeeee…I still have a bit of human dignity left…!" I exclaimed, completely forgetting the fact that I was in the middle of a conversation with four psychotic, brainwashed women whose goal in life revolved solely around pleasing their God….A regrettable error…

"**What's that suppose to mean?!" **

" **Did you hear her?" **

" **What?!" **

" **Can you believe her nerve?!" **they all started at the same time, glaring daggers at me.

" What did I say?! He's just not my type….That beard….the messy hair….." I vainly tried to justify myself.

" **Are you implying that he's not the most handsome man on the face of the planet?!" **

" On the face of **this** planet?! "

" **Duuhhhh! More like in the universe!" **

" That's a bit exaggerated, don't you think?! Plus, beauty is subjective!"

" **Subjective?! He's perfect!"**

"**He's stunning!" " **

"**The way his muscles harden when he's training…."**

"**The way his eyes burn when he's making love….**

" **There is no greater honor for a mortal than to experience the intimate touch of a God!**"

"**And lord Ares is like the best there is…! Gods, I'm getting all wet just thinking about it! "** the blonde one filled in the rest of the information.

"I'm pretty sure that's because of all this water…"

" No, actually it has something to do with his magic wand! " she said, and it was all the other three needed in order to start laughing like crazy again.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" I mumbled under my breath, making sure they didn't get that part…." That sounds…unusual…" I finally concluded, seeing that there was absolutely no point in explaining to them that there were so many fascinating things out there that were so much better than being well fucked by a two faced Olympian !

"Are you a virgin or something?" the woman on my left asked, frowning at the possibility.

I briefly considered my answer, doing my best not to look too troubled as I said it out loud.

"Actually, I am….."

"You are…?!"

" Yes…."

"Oh! That explains it! "

"How old are you…..?" the curly one felt the need to butt in.

" Is that relevant?"

"**Why** are you a virgin…..?"

" I thought they were all extinct…." the redhead spoke, and judging by her face , she was serious….Boy, those women were as nutty as a fruit cake.

" I'm the last of my species….." I explained, shrugging my shoulders at their obvious idiocy….I'm telling you, dear Papyrus….It was then when I suddenly understood why Ares has so many beautiful women bending over backwards to do his every bidding….Most of them are painfully and incurably brainless ….

"That's like so tragic!" the blonde said, placing a compassionate hand on my shoulder, and I couldn't help thinking that she reminded me of someone, but I just couldn't tell who exactly it was. "Poor thing! Don't you feel alone from time to time?!"

"I often cry myself to sleep, at night…" I mocked, rolling my eyes when they all rushed to hug me.

" Don't worry! We'll talk to lord Ares for you. Maybe , he'll feel generous enough as to want to help you with your little…**problem**…We'll just have to wait until he's in a good mood! "

"Maybe tonight! We were supposed to dance for him!" the brunette remembered, joy written all over her candid visage.

"No , no, no! ….Thank you….I'm fine, really…..Actually, I've made up my mind. I think I'm gonna go and serve Hestia….I would be like the ultimate priestess or something…."

" **Darling, trust me! You don't know what you're missing!" **

"**Yeah! Ares is THE hunk!"**

"**You don't need to be afraid!" **

" **His cock is massive, but he can use it in ways that you have never imagined…."**

" I don't even want to imagine it! " I said to myself again, while frantically struggling to reach the other side of the pool "I'm fine, really. There's no need for you to worry about my….."

"Sure there is! I mean look at you! ….You're not that ugly as not to be fu…."

"Ok! Ok! That's enough! I'm happy with my body just the way it is! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to see Xena…She might need me….."

" **Hey! Where are you going?!" **

"**Come back! "**

" Later…We can chat some more... **later**…We'll be staying for a few days…"

**XXX **

As soon as the naïve Bard left, my gorgeously looking Bro' materialized on the edge of the pool, comfortably stretched on one of the fluffy sheepskin rugs, clapping his hands in utter pride and amusement.

"My, my ladies! …With a mind blowing representation such this one, I'm starting to fear my own safety! "

" How was it, my Lord?!" one of them inquired, anxiously waiting for feedback.

"You were all **fabulous**….You should have definitely tried your luck on stage!."

"Actually, we're exactly where we want to be…" the redhead bimbo articulated in a disgustingly seductive tone…."Your bed is all the stage we need...We could perform there all day long!"

"Hmmmm….you most definitely could…." he playfully stated, winking at her.

" And….our little reward…..?"

" Later…..I still have some stuff to take care of…." he lied, much to my delight. " Oh! Don't pout, girls….You're breaking my ruthless, immortal heart…"

And for the love of….me, I couldn't help laughing at their transfixed expressions….Stud Muffin has always been a charmer, but that was** too** much! Those slutty mortals were as melted as wax for him- and all he did was sell them a bit of cheap talk...

" My Lord…..Pardon my intrusion….is my Lady going to be ok?" one of them finally asked, in a weak, childish voice.

" With the pesky Blondie out of the way, she's gonna be more than ok, Ligeia….She's gonna be …**divine**…..Now, all we still need to do is to get her to talk to Draja…That would shake her world big time…"

" That would be a piece of cake , my Lord. I know just the way…"

"Do you know? Hmm…Come to think about it, maybe I'll just stick around some more…I love seeing my women in action…"

" Well, come to think about it, I should be sticking around too…This is a show I wouldn't want to miss!" I made sure to add, materializing behind him on the carpet and slipping my hand under his dark leather vest.

"Aphrodite!"

**YOU GOTTA LOVE DITE :))) AS FOR GABRIELLE...LET'S JUST SAY THAT XENA WAS TRULY A HERO :)) JUST KIDDING...REALLY, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT GABBY? DID YOU LIKE HER IN THE SERIES? JUST BEING CURIOUS...**


	7. Divine intervention

**HERE'S A BIT OF DITE FOR YOU ALL:) AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS, OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND IDEAS, THEY SURE MAKE GREAT WRITING MATERIAL:) **

" Aphrodite!…What are you doing here?"

" Oh you know….I was in the neighborhood, doing….well...**nothing really**, so I decided to drop by aaand surprise ,surprise….! Whose energy do I sense all the way from the other side of the aether?! The Warrior Babe's! " I exclaimed, grinning like a Cheshire cat at him. " ….So…..?"

" So?!"

" Oh come on Ar! I want to hear all about it! All the dirty, little details! How was it?!"

"How was what?!"

" The historic reconciliation **duhhh**, what else? Did you two have wild, awesome, uninhibited sex the other night?! Was it as steamy as I imagine it?" I asked, clapping my hands at the perspective. Finally! I had been waiting for this news for months, and now, here they were, my favorite couple together again and ready to rock the world!

Just like I was expecting, Bro stared blankly at me for a few intense moments - as if wanting to drill a hole right through my skull with that utterly sexy but uncomfortably piercing gaze of his - before he focused his attention back on those needy bimbos who had all gathered at the edge of the pool, literally holding their breaths in wait for his answer.

" Would you excuse us for a second?" he addressed them, and despite the fact that they all nodded, none of them budged an inch, on the contrary, their eyes only seemed to widen even more while fixating Bro's deliciously parted lips, obviously anxious to hear the rest of the spicy details. Consequently, without even bothering to ask for my permission, he simply transported us to his disgustingly unfashionable throne room, thus giving us a bit of privacy.

" And what exactly is it that makes you think we got back together? "

" I don't know….that glow in your eyes, the smile…..that hard to ignore **erection**…..?"

"You might have missed the fact that four naked, **gorgeous women** were bathing just a few feet away from me…"

" True…But still….I can recognize the **Xena effect** when I see it. And you lover boy, **you are** **hooked !**"

"I'm not **hooked**…."

" You're right…I should have found a stronger word for it….how about **totally entranced ?!** "

He just shook his head disapprovingly, but I could see right through him. He was happy….

"We didn't have sex, ok? Now could you leave me alone? I have…stuff to do!"

" Oh Bro'…I'm sorry to hear that. My heart goes out to you, but honestly, sex or no sex, I couldn't possibly tell you how thrilled I am to see that light in your eyes again…."

"What light? You're just being delirious, getting all excited over nothing, Dite. She's only here because she's hurt and she called me…."

"She **called you?!** "

He paused for a few seconds, rolling his eyes at me…

"**Yes** she called me!"

" She **was hurt** and she called **you**, out of all people**?!**"

I was officially flabbergasted.

"It sure looks like it…." he retorted as if it weren't such a big deal, but this time, he could no longer suppress the excitement in his voice….

" Bro! Do you even realize what that means?! She trusts you! After everything that happened between you two, you're still the one person she turns to when she's in trouble….!."I exploded, wrapping my arms around him in a huge, liberating hug.

"Would you stop getting my hopes up?! It could as well mean nothing at all , Dite! " he abruptly bit, pushing me away, and taking a seat on that hideous ebony armchair he called a throne, and I could instantly feel the tension building in his body. He was scared...

" You couldn't possibly believe that! You know her better than anyone, and you have to admit it: **Xena **asking **you** for help is as radical as…..as the Twilight!"

" I must admit , I was surprised….**Shocked**, really….Still am…."

"I'll say…."

"I'm glad she did though….She would have died…If the arrow wound hadn't killed her, the poison would have definitely done it! "

" Wow! Total wipeout! How is she….?"

"Better….sleeping last time I checked…."

" There's something on your mind though….What is it?" I asked, taking a sit on his lap and casually starting to play with his pendant, adamant about getting him to relax a bit. "Oh come on Bro…you know you can tell me…"I won't say a word to anyone, I promise….I can be as silent as a…. tombstone when I want to."

" Like that's ever going to happen. "

"Are you afraid that she'll keep it all business like, and that you won't get the chance to…?"

" Who said I was even **afraid** of anything in the first place?" he immediately cut in, on his old bad boy tone.

I simply smiled at his unjustifiable outburst….Right... I completely forgot that the mighty God of War couldn't afford being anything else but tough and emotionless.

"Wrong choice of words…What's **troubling **you, Stud?"

This time, he just ran his hand through his hair pensively before letting out a heavy sigh.

" The pesky Blonde….I wish I could just ship her off to a different dimension….Xe would kill me though, so, I'll just have to find a way to get some alone time with my Princess without her **constantly meddling presence!** ….."

"Gods Bro'…..you're like so cotton candy sweet when you call her **Princess**! " I said, beaming a warm, triumphant smile just for him….." You could make any woman's heart melt…."

" Excepting the only one I really want…"

" Now, now! Don't despair! Remember what I told you...**Love** takes time, patience and…practice…As for Gabby, you just leave everything to me! It's time for a divine intervention! "

" Oh no you don't, Dite! You're not going to screw this for me! "

" Hey! What's with the attitude? Like when did I ever do that?! "

" Hm….let me see. I do happen to have a list on me." he contradicted, while with a wave of his hand he materialized a long, endless scroll, that was supposedly full of my past failures.

"That's not fair…." I said, frowning at the first five mishaps he had carefully written down. " Here I was drunk….and here the spell went all wrong….and over here it was **you** who lied to **me** in the first place….and like down there, I don't really remember what happened, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't my fault either. "

"Right….Could you just please **stay out of it** for once? "

"I can **try**…? "

" You do that, cause if something happens to Harpielle, Xena will never speak to me again! Like in **forever and ever!**" he said, trying hard to imitate me.

" **Forever** is a long time, Stud…."

**XXX**

The second Bro' left, I opened up a portal. Gabrielle had just checked on the Warrior Babe, and seeing that she was still asleep, she went straight to her room….

"Ok…..it's time for some action…" I giggled, taking a peek into a second portal. Draja was in the altar room, performing some silly mortal ritual, as if Bro actually cared about that kind of stuff…Perfect!

In the blink of an eye, and a snap of my fingers later, I completely changed my appearance, skillfully turning into my brother.

" By Gaia herself! I could almost kiss the mirror! " I remarked, staring at my absolutely fascinating reflection, slowly caressing my brother's image. "Xe is such a lucky girl and she doesn't even know it!"

It didn't take long before I materialized in the altar room, right behind the overly dedicated priestess and it was sheer luck that she wasn't paying attention at anything other than that weird chant she was singing cause she couldn't have missed the **bright pink** light show and **the rose petals…** I totally forgot about that part….

"Draja?""

"My Lord!" she immediately replied, bowing her head, and I could barely hold back a bemused chuckle when I saw her cheeks turning red! Bro' did have that effect on women- they were all crazy about him! "Is there something you need? I thought you said you would be away for a few hours…."

" I will be. I just…I forgot something" I mumbled, not really knowing what to say.

"Oh….My Lady's fine….you don't need to worry. " she affectionately replied, as if it had been more than obvious that he had returned to check up on her. "She's sleeping.." she added, her gaze glued to the floor.

"… Yeah. I know. How's Gabrielle?"

"Fine I guess. I haven't seen her since this morning. "

" Ok…would you be a sweetheart and see if she needs anything? She's probably hungry…Mortals do need to eat…"

" Of course my Lord. "

"Thank you Draja…"

And biiiiingo! The minute I saw her rushing out the door, I knew that our naïve Bard would soon leave the temple running. The Warrior Babe and Bro' would have nothing to worry about….She wouldn't disturb them for awhile!


	8. Irresistible attraction

Ok, so a problem shared is a problem half solved - or that's what I've always liked to think- and indeed, this statement proved to be true for my brother given that only minutes after our conversation, Draja was already knocking at the Bard's door. Without her knowing it, she was going to unleash all Tartarus on earth…..I could now focus on solving the other half….

Within seconds, all my energy shifted on opening a different portal as the other two closed…..This was a special portal, a **very special** one…the kind of which I often used whenever I wanted to spy on my favorite couple without getting caught….It required a special technique, lots of skills, and quite a lot of energy….but I just knew it would be worth it….As always, a wise voice in my head told me not too, but the little harpy sitting on my left shoulder kept whispering into my ear what a fabulously romantic scene I would be missing if I had the nerve to pretend that I didn't care about their dramatically unfolding love story…

The instant the image cleared, I let out a loud, silly squeak. Once again, I was right….He hadn't wasted one moment and went straight to her….That sure said a lot….

For once- in almost a year I'd say- I felt the urgent need to sit down. I could see him getting closer and closer to her bed….Damn…this was going to be too good to simply observe it from afar. I just had to be there….!

I quickly considered my options. With the speed of light, I entered the vortex and hurriedly wrapped myself in the thickest invisibility cloak I could find….I was not going to miss out on anything….not one single breath!

As I silently materialized in one of the distant corners of the room, I stood still for a few seconds, not flinching one muscle, waiting to see if he could detect my presence despite the extra strong shield I was using….Once I came to the conclusion that I would be safe from harm no matter what, I cautiously reduced the distance separating us, barely breathing, and definitely barely controlling my jelly like legs from tripping over an amphora or something…..I was well aware what the consequences of such unfortunate imprudence would have been, and let's just say that I was ready to do right about anything to keep myself out of trouble…

I finally ended up leaning against a nearby wall, watching my brother's every gesture with wide, spellbound eyes as he took a seat on the dark armchair near the bed. For a few seconds, he kept looking at her, asleep as she was, not daring to do anything but watch, as if one single move could have stolen her away from him for good…..My pupils must have dilated when I saw him biting his lower lip and arching that ever so naughty eyebrow as she moved in her sleep, twisting a bit so that now she was lying on her back, her face slightly turned to him….

I instantly felt a shiver running down my spine….There was an immeasurable hunger gleaming in his mesmerizing, amber eyes- an intoxicating energy that could have fueled my powers for millennia to come! I could distinctly sense it, radiating from his body, waves and waves of dark, maddening desire , untamed passion that had absolutely nothing in common with that ordinary feeling that most mortals I know- such as my ridiculously innocent and clueless Bard friend- would stupidly mistaken for **love- **when in fact they don't have the slightest clue about how real, pure love even feels like.

At that point, it was virtually impossible for him not to touch her and I could easily tell it by that barely perceptible twitch in his fingers…He **ached** to feel her and through their connection, she was just screaming for his nearness….Even in her sleep, her unconscious mind was longing for him- an irresistible attraction that her numb brain couldn't possibly deny . It was a sight to see…

Almost of its own volition, Bro's hand reached to touch her cheek, the tips of his fingers stopping just a mere inch above her skin, freezing there while a brutish, soul engulfing battle was fought inside him. He gulped nervously and his breath caught in his throat as he rapidly withdrew his hand, rubbing it feverishly with his other one as if it hurt, as if someone had just been on the verge of cutting it off. …

Despite the overly melodramatic scene- which kinda was my specialty- I couldn't help frowning at the suddenly angry tears in his eyes….He looked…helpless….yeah, that was the word…..

" Aressss…"

I totally jumped at her hardly audible whisper, my alarmed eyes immediately searching for my brothers', wanting to make sure that he had heard her too, probably looking for a confirmation that her ghostly voice hadn't been just a figment of my imagination…..

I smiled victoriously at the liquid warmth now shimmering on the surface of his visibly troubled moons…His entire being was unwillingly vibrating with the exhilaration of knowing that he was still there, haunting her dreams, that despite the time and the distance and definitely despite of their painfully disturbing past he hadn't left her heart…

"_Come on, touch her….touch her, Bro'….She just needs to know that you're here for her…" _I had to fight with myself not to shout at the top of my lungs, burning with the need to get once and for all that indubitable confirmation that the possibility of a real chance at being together again wasn't as far fetched as he believed it to be…

With a teasingly slow, reluctant gesture, his hand lifted into the air again, but to my boundless frustration, it was not to her face that it was headed, but to his own, completely covering his mouth for a few moments and then rushing up towards his forehead- that he soon started massaging as if some well hidden, impossible pain could somehow cause his head to blow up….

I had been indeed right back in the throne room, I finally realized to my own tragic disappointment….He was** scared**….Not even scared, more like **terrified**….Terrified of having her again, only because **having her meant that he could as well lose her** at any time, and needless to say, the mere idea of something like that ever repeating was inconceivable...He still hadn't managed to come to terms with their current situation...

In a moment of cowardly, overwhelming panic, I saw him jump to his feet, rapidly turning his back at her, ready to leave….

"_Noooooo!" _I exclaimed on a mute, but heartbreaking, desperate note.

It was not my utter despair that stopped him nonetheless, but the Warrior Babe's thick, sleepy voice.

**" Ares?"**

She was awake. My heart skipped a beat, and I was pretty sure my brother's did the same.

**XXX **

Privacy! At last! Seeing that my friend was still fast asleep dear Papyrus, I finally allowed myself to lie down and catch my breath for a few moments. I can't believe the nerve those stupid women had! Implying that Ares and I could ever…My skin still crawls only thinking about it! Like I would ever allow that disgusting pedophile jerk to touch me!

"….And I couldn't care less about how big his cock is! I don't even care if he has one or not! As long as he can keep it in those sleazy leather pants, I don't really give a damn! "

A very persistent knock on the door pulled me out of my fiery, vehement speech , and that's when I realized that once again I had been saying all that out loud….That can't be a good sign huh?…Have I told you dear Papyrus, that I once heard that talking to yourself is the first medical indication of schizophrenia? …It surely makes one think twice before articulating something….anything…

" Come in!"

" Good afternoon, Gabrielle. I was wondering if you need anything…Are you hungry by any chance?" she asked, and I could see how uncomfortable she felt around me, for no reason at all, really…

"Actually Draja…" I started, frowning a bit at the name itself. It sounded incredibly tough and….imposing and, believe it or not, it kinda reminded me of the Amazon tribes….**Draja**…It did have a very particular sonority...

"Yes?" she softly continued, seeing that I had simply stopped speaking and frankly , I was so absorbed in my own vast ocean of thoughts that I almost forgot I hadn't finished that sentence.

" Could you sit down for a second? I'd like to talk to you about something…"

She cast an almost frightened gaze my way, as if I were about to cut her head off….

"Actually, I was a bit in a hurry…I have a million things to do till sunset…" she mildly protested, in some sort of excuse.

" It won't take long…I just have a question for you…." I insisted, and I could see by the way she fidgeted nervously, shifting her weight from one leg to the other that she could already anticipate what my question would be, and she wasn't comfortable with it…not by a long shot.

" You said earlier, in the yard, that _Xena might have changed, but that Ares surely hasn't_…. What did you mean by that….?"

She immediately turned around to leave, but I firmly grabbed her hand, keeping her in place…She wasn't going anywhere…not until I had found out everything ... every dark little secret, no matter how insignificant...

"I** need** to know…." I added in a softer, convincing tone. " Please. It's very important to me. Xena's my friend…."

"**Xena could never be anyone's friend!**" she sharply spat, tears in her eyes, and to my boundless shock, I saw so much pain on her face that I just had to ask myself again….were we really talking about the same Xena?!


	9. Closer

"I couldn't disagree more! I've only known Xena for a year, that's true, but I feel like a lifetime has passed since I first met her…She's a good friend, and a wonderful person!" I fought back, a rather stupid and reckless reaction given that I wanted this woman- who obviously didn't like my friend one bit- to offer me information about her….

" If you already have your mind set on what you think you know, why do you even bother asking, then? Just believe whatever she got you to believe, and die a happy person!" she naturally bit, apparently struggling to make it in one piece out of that avalanche of emotions crushing her heart.

"I need to understand…"I murmured rather stubbornly, finally letting go of her hand. "Some things, just don't seem to add up…Like her relationship with Ares…"I subtly insinuated, silently praying that she wouldn't refuse to talk about it, just like that.

"What my Lord did or does it's none of your business!" she harshly responded, glaring at me as if I had committed the ultimate blasphemy. Her clear, acorn brown eyes- flashed angrily as she yelled, forcing me to reconsider my strategy…

"_Good job, Gabrielle!"_ I silently chastised myself for my blatant lack of tact.

"This is not about Ares….Not for me…This is about Xena. " I insisted, wringing my hands nervously.

"Well why don't you ask **her** whatever it is that you want to know, then? She's your friend. She can fill in the gaps for you. That's what friends do…"

"Xena doesn't like to talk about her past…." I once again whispered in a desperate, defeated voice, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, breaking all eye contact.

" I'll say…with that kind of sordid memories buried in the back of her brain, I can't blame her. Who would?"

"I know she wasn't always a good person, and that there was a time when her soul was engulfed by darkness- some people do seem to hate her with everything they've got and they probably have their reasons too- but….she's different now….And still…I don't really understand the nature of her relationship with Ares….There's something she's not telling me…"

" What is there to tell? She's **his Chosen**. You can easily picture the rest. "

"His …**Chosen**? What does that mean? "

The priestess cast her a pitiful glance for a few seconds before answering.

" And you claim she's your friend, huh? It sure seems to me that she has been hiding a lot of things from you …." she stated, on a surprisingly indifferent tone, but this time it was precisely that utter indifference that attracted my attention. For some reason, it seemed unusually menacing to me…

" Well…it's not like I insisted too much in her telling me every single detail of her life…."

"Don't delude yourself in thinking that she ever would. Xena is hardly the person to open up **to right** **about anyone**…."she ironically remarked and her last words echoed terribly loud inside my head.

"You seem to know her pretty well…Have you met before?" I asked, trying not to look in any way affected by her previous line.

"We sure have…..I'm part of that past she has been struggling so much to bury. "

" Oh..." It was all I could say for a few awkward seconds. "You haven't told me yet what that meant- **being his Chosen-**….Xena hates Ares….Why would she even accept working for him….?"

"**Working?** That's an interesting choice of words. Trust me, the last thing she did was to **work** for him"

" Isn't that what a Chosen is? His **chosen general** or something?" I asked, panic already present in my voice...Could that even be an actual possibility?

"She did leave you completely in the dark didn't she?" she replied, taking a seat by my side. " Let me shed some light on things for you!" she added, her eyes narrowing a bit before she started her story.

" I'm not really allowed to talk to anyone about this…so the only thing that I will do tell you, is the one that has changed my life forever….And you are not going to repeat what I'm about to share with you now, to any other mortal or God, do you understand me?"

"What happened? I won't tell anyone, I promise…"

"Can I trust you? My own life is at stake, here! "

I swallowed dryly before answering, a very strangled "Yes, yes you can!" , and that very moment I just got this distinct feeling that I shouldn't have asked anything in the first place…

_Almost five years have passed since that tragic night , but I will never forget it….I wish I could, I'm still haunted by it….I wish I could just let it go…."_

**XXX **

" Ares? "

"Princess…I'm sorry I woke you…." Bro somehow managed to reply, roughly taken aback by that unique melody of her voice, and the instant their eyes met, I could once again feel a wave of energy reinvigorating my every cell.

As if under some kind of old, dangerously powerful spell, his gaze instantly started to wander on the deep, endless oceans of her cobalt blue moons, drowning more and more into them with each passing second….

" It's ok….How long have I been asleep?" she inquired, struggling to break free from that primitive, urgent need that had taken over her the moment he unconsciously licked his lips, the intensity of his gaze - sending her heart into a wild dash - making it almost impossible for her to ignore that sudden jolt of liquid pleasure barreling straight to her groin.

I had always known what his mere presence could do to her, but lately- to my ultimate depression- I was almost certain that their dramatic break up and Bro's unforgivable outburst had maybe changed things between them to the point of no return. I was of course delighted to see just how wrong I had been! She was absolutely ravished by him, and despite that frighteningly deep abyss separating them, the sexual chemistry they shared was undeniable. Tartarus, I could sense it from the other side of the room!

"Not long…..About two hours I guess…" he replied, unable to shift his longing gaze from hers, unable to move an inch from where he was currently standing, unable to blink, unable to breathe, unable to do anything else but absorb and absorb that intoxicating feeling of her nearness…

"I thought you said you had some stuff to take care of…By your tone, I assumed it would take you most of the day." she said, finally finding the inner strength to break free from the enslaving effect of his hypnotizing moons, arching an eyebrow at the awareness of her own weakness….

" _Oh Xe….just give up fighting it….Look at him! He's crazy about you! He'd lay the world at your feet for you to forgive him!" _

"I did….I came back though when I saw that Blondie had left…I didn't want you to be alone…." he murmured, probably not really sure if he should even say that aloud…

For a long moment, the world crashed to a halt and ceased to exist, as the meaning of his last words sunk in…

"Where did she go…?" she asked, in a low, hesitant voice.

It was his turn to feel reluctant at choosing his words. …He could see that something was bothering her but he couldn't really tell what it was…Was it something he said…or did…?

" …Grab a bite to eat…"

"Oh….Ok…." she concluded while clumsily trying to stand.

" Let me…" he offered, rushing by her side, arranging the pillows behind her back so that she could be more comfortable. " Here you go…"

"Thank you" she whispered back, not daring to say anything else, her pulse running maddeningly wild when she felt his strong arm wrapping around her waist while the other pressed lightly against her stomach as he slowly helped her up.

"Yeah..."

His comment was brief and sounded alarmingly cold but from the way in which his hands lingered a bit more on her body before he finally put some distance between them, I could see just how out of control he was around her. He was just scared...that was all, he was just scared...

"How's your shoulder? he added, fighting with himself to give his brain something to worry about, thus drifting his attention from that hard not to notice, ample cleavage that was now generously revealed through the almost completely opened top of her robe. ….The** crimson** robe….his favorite…

He swiftly glanced aside this time, as the overwhelming desire to plunge his fingers into her long , silky hair and just shove her onto that bed was becoming dangerously hard to suppress…He could already imagine himself on top of her, he could already hear her gasp as he eagerly buried his cock inside her, and judging by the way in which his body stiffened as she left out a small moan the instant she tried to move her arm, I just knew that my guess had been correct.

" It still hurts…." she said, wanting to touch its surface but immediately frowned at the contact….

" Let me see…" he urged, taking a step closer and taking a seat on the bed, in front of her. With impossibly light, gentle moves, he pushed the robe off her shoulders leaving her chest almost completely exposed, her, round, temptingly swollen breasts being now only partially covered by a thin layer of soft dark silk …..Gods, how he missed her! His aura was simply pulsating with lust...

By that moment, I was deliriously happy….a truly intimate moment between them, after all those long, boring months of waiting and waiting for something to happen besides the regular fighting and screaming…I could hardly believe my eyes.

She trembled slightly as his fingertips touched her skin, doing her best to control her breathing, suddenly self conscious at the way in which her breasts were rising and falling in quick jolts.

" Does it still burn?" Bro' asked, in a deep, husky voice, but she definitely failed to hear him, way too busy with fighting with herself not to close her eyes at his ever so soft and subtle caress.

" Hmmm? "

" The shoulder, does it still burn?" he patiently repeated the question, forcing himself not to crock a smile at his little victory.

Before she offered an answer though, her eyebrow immediately arched as she detected a note of concern in his eyes.

" What's wrong?" she questioned, suddenly pulled back from her trance.

"The wound….it's bleeding again. Damn!" he swore, casting her a nervous glance this time.

She immediately looked down at her shoulder, but her expression lightened a bit when she noticed that it wasn't very serious..

" It's ok….A few drops of blood won't kill me…"

"It starts with a few drops, Xena….." he made sure to mention, gazing pensively at her old bandage. "I need to change it…" he whispered, pausing a bit while waiting for her confirmation, his hand freezing on the thin silky strap of her shift, and all I can say was that at this point, I could barely restrain myself from screaming my boundless joy and clapping my hands. This whole scene was like a dream come true…Nothing could go wrong now…


	10. The touch of time

**ENJOY THE ROMANCE:)) **

This whole scene was like a dream come true...Nothing could go wrong now…..And trust me, I do know that this makes me look like the ultimate disgusting pervert, but I literally held my breath as she gave that slight nod, thus allowing him to slide those straps down her shoulders. The delicate fabric soon followed, gently caressing her breasts as is glided down towards the base of her waist, finally exposing her chest to him. Needless to say, he was fascinated with what he had before him.

"_Come on Bro! This was supposed to be about the wound, remember?! Changing her bandage….?" _I almost exploded, once I had noticed just how entranced he was with her, despite the actual thrill of witnessing such sexy scene, a bit panicked that the overly sensual nearness of their bodies could somehow scare her away. I know Xena pretty well you see, and trust me, one wrong move would have been enough for her to build an even higher wall between them... My fears were justified...

To my boundless surprise though, it appeared like Bro wasn't really in a hurry to act like a horny teenager, on the contrary. For some reason- that it took me awhile to understand- his hands just froze once again on her waist, as he pulled the shift down, and as I waited for him to make a move on her, like the ultimate move if you know what I mean, something that she just couldn't resist to- I mean it was the perfect timing after all, if I was melting there by that wall, try picturing the Warrior Babe- I realized that I could as well grow old and wrinkled cause it wasn't going to happen….Did I just say** old** **and wrinkled?** My mistake, I just let myself get carried away!

So, where was I? Oh yeah! I kept waiting for a few seconds, anticipating a kiss or at least some accidental brush of her nipples…something….Nothing happened though, and read my lips here, nothing!

" _Oh, come on ! I only said you shouldn't cross the line, I didn't mean for you to stop whatever it was you were doing there like for good!" _I yelled into my head, letting out a mental sigh. This was frustrating.

As I took a closer look at the Warrior Babe, I could see that she was staring down at his hands, just like he was, a perplexed expression on her face….What on earth were they doing? Was I missing something? Was this some new sex technique they were using and that I hadn't heard of? Did she have a… **hand fetish** or something? I frowned at my shallow understanding of their unusual behavior and I was right about to give up trying to find an explanation for whatever was going on there when it finally hit me! They were sharing a common memory! Of course! How could I have been so blind?!

I immediately rushed to access the Warrior Babe's mind to see what she was thinking of….There was no way for me to access Stud Muffin' s without getting caught so, her perspective should do just fine for the moment….

_The action must have happened least seven or eight years earlier, cause Xe looked a bit younger…._

_It was_ just a_ few hours after midnight judging by the position of the moon, but she didn't seem to be very sleepy, cause she was wide awake, taking a breath of fresh air on a balcony, somewhere….I took a careful look around the room…Just as I thought- one of Bro's horribly decorated fortresses…..Anyway, she was on the balcony, staring into the vast nothingness of the night, her wide blue eyes darkened by a concerning sadness….I quickly did the math…She and Stud Muffin were ok back then, no love problems what so ever….what in Zeus' name was bothering her…..?_

_Two strong hands wrapped around her waist faster than I could take a wild guess…It was Bro' of course…I carefully scanned his face…He didn't look particularly worried, on the contrary, he was rather in the mood for some one on one action…_

" _And just what is my Princess doing all alone out here in the middle of the night?"he playfully asked, kissing her shoulder and pulling her closer to his chest. She mechanically covered his hands with her own, and it was only then, as the moonlight fell straight on her beautiful face, that I noticed her tears….She had been crying…._

" _I couldn't sleep…" she answered, in a voice that didn't give away anything of the sadness tearing at her soul ._

"_Oh really? That can't be good…..I should have done a better job in getting you tired…" Bro' continued while his hands broke free from her hold and started gliding up towards her breasts instead….He was eager to have her, it was more than obvious and judging by the utter abandon in which she closed her eyes as he began pushing down the straps of her dark blue nightdress, she wasn't opposed at all to the idea…Maybe that was just the right medicine for her, the right distraction to help her forget._

_As he began kissing her neckline, the fabric glided languidly down her chest, revealing the unique splendor of her full breasts, and I couldn't help thinking that my brother had all the reasons in the world to have fallen under her spell…She was undeniably gorgeous, and under the faint, yellowish light of the moon, her soft skin, now in a dusty, golden shade made her look breathtaking….divine….._

_With a sudden brutality that didn't take me long to recognize, he turned her around, anxious to get rid of that piece of fabric already and get to the part that was really interesting in his point of view. The moment she faced him though, despite that untamed passion burning in his eyes, his hands froze on her waist when he noticed that fresh trail of tears sparkling on her cheeks. _

_For a few long seconds, he was petrified, viciously tormenting his brain into finding the precise thing that he had said or done either that night or during the day that could have caused her that amount of suffering….When he finally reached the conclusion that it was useless, that there was no way he could guess what had happened, he just brushed the still faintly present tears off her lovely visage and murmured, in such a soft, pleading voice, that my heart skipped a beat at the sound of it….He was so incredibly sweet…That was definitely the first time I had heard him use that tone with….anyone….._

"_Princess…what's wrong, Darling? " he inquired, but without waiting for an answer he just went on talking- as a possible reason for her anguish crossed his mind. " I'm sorry…." he whispered while clumsily pulling the fabric up to cover her breasts. "I must have misinterpreted your reactions…We don't have to…."_

_She just smiled lightly at his thoughtfulness. It was amazing how incredibly considerate he always was about her feelings…To think that this was the God of War standing before her, the same ruthless Olympian that the peasant women from every village in Greece perceived as the ultimate threat, as a scrupulous rapist and a cruel, savage beast for whom love was an nonexistent concept…..It was almost funny….._

"_It's not that…" she said, trying to turn back around in his embrace, desperately wanting to avoid those deep, passionate eyes of his….She couldn't stand keeping secrets from him and that was definitely not in her advantage….._

_As much as she wanted it to though, he was far from letting her do it , and his hands just gripped her waist a bit harder, applying just the right amount of pressure to subtly let her know that whatever it was that had been plaguing her mind, she was definitely going to share…._

" _What is it then? Sweetheart….You know how much I hate to see you upset….If there's anything I can do to change that…."_

"_You can't….I shouldn't even be upset about it…" she whispered, and just like Ares did, it only took me a split-second to see that she was giving her best shot in trying to avoid speaking about it. Luckily, Stud Muffin wasn't precisely the type of man to just let things go…._

"_But you are…Please talk to me…" he murmured, sweetly tracing her cheekbone and her jawline before he tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him when her gaze began fixing the floor in an obvious, adamant refusal. _

" _**Please…"**__ he once again begged, and I'm telling you all, the Warrior Babe must have been clueless about the fact that this event was as rare as a planetary alignment ! _

"_It's stupid…" she finally replied, shaking her head at her own thoughts, but judging by that pure, heavy sorrow wiping any trace of smile off her face, it wasn't really **that** stupid…_

_He didn't say anything this time, he just kept brushing lightly his thumb along her cheek, his eyes never leaving her perfect visage, patiently waiting for an answer. _

" _I sometimes wish things were different…."_

"_Different how, Princess?" he demanded to know, and I could immediately detect what Xena couldn't….the fear pumping into his veins, leaving him almost breathless…What was she saying?_

" _I sometimes wish I were normal…have a family, a place to belong to…" she finally confessed, brushing angrily away that unchecked tear that had had the audacity to fall from her eye, not really thrilled that she was falling apart in front of him. _

"_Are you unhappy with me?" he inquired, almost choking on that question, and I could definitely feel the pain cutting into his soul. _

" _No. " her answer was concise but it came out without delay. She wasn't lying. " It has nothing to do with you, Ares…It's more like…I don't know…I sometimes miss my old life…"she explained, and the helplessness on my brother's face was absolutely heart wrenching. _

_Oh Bro'!…..You were desperately in love with her..._

" _You do have a place where you belong….__**here…with me**__…I can be whatever you want me to be- your friend, brother, father, confidant, lover, husband… you name it….I wouldn't really have a clue on how to replace Cyrene but, I can try…. " he stated without even thinking it twice, and, to my surprise, he actually managed to draw a timid smile on her lips. _

"_Actually when we're training and you start yelling at me, you sound just like her…"_

_He cracked a smile himself, a bit relieved to see her in a slightly better humor…_

"_I mean it…..I'll always be there for you. Plus, I'm a God…I'm not going anywhere. " he made sure to let her know, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. _

" _And when you get bored with me? What then?" she finally voiced out her fears, on a rather reluctant, but definitely resigned tone._

" _I'll never get bored with you…."_

_She just let out an incredulous sneer at the very fantasist perspective. _

" _Trust me, I know what I'm talking about…"he assured her, biting his lower lip in frustration. He really didn't know what else to do._

_She didn't say anything this time, she just wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her into a tight, desperate embrace. _

"_**I love you to pieces."**__ he whispered against her ear, not caring one bit about the fact that he shouldn't have let her have that amount of power over him. **"..and that's never going to change.." **_

"_Time changes things…and feelings, Ares…"_

"_Time has no effect on gods…" he wisely pointed out, kissing her hair, as if a simple kiss could take all that pain away._

_I was officially crying by now…..This was too touching even for my standards…_

Ares' voice pulled me out of my trance, and as the memory ended, I was back in the real world. A tear was languidly rolling down the Warrior Princess' face, and just like in the scene I had just witnessed, my brother wiped it gently away.

" Nothing has changed, Xe...For me, time stopped when you left..." he said, barely above a whisper, and my jaw fell to the floor as I heard him. Wow! This was like the ultimate confession! Being there was the best decision I had taken in my life!

" What are you talking about Ares? Everything's different..." she murmured, chewing pensively on her bottom lip.

" Different , but still the same..." he contradicted, and before I realized what was happening, his lips claimed hers, in a mind- blowing, soul- searing kiss.


	11. Whatever makes you happy, Princess

**_OK...SO LET'S MOVE ON TO WHAT GABRIELLE FOUND OUT THAT DAY..._**

_It was the seventh year spent serving Lord Ares, and I can say in all honesty, I was happy….as happy as I could be given that I had to share the man I loved with…well with right about anyone he liked, but anyway, I was happy…Somehow, during those few nights of complete intimacy with him, my heart always managed to find a way back to him…Somehow, nothing else seemed to matter when he wrapped his arms tight around me and kissed my forehead…All the jealousy and the pain melted under the soft touch of his lips…Gods…_

I tried to hide my shock at what I was hearing of course, but I could tell it was a lost battle, really, for I was able to feel my face slowly taking the shape of a theatrical mask, my mouth opening on its own and my eyes widening like portals at the image I now had playing before my eyes….Only the sound of her voice breaking was able to shake me back to reality….

" Did he sleep with** all** his priestesses?"

" Not all of them, just his favorite ones….And they weren't few…I guess it pretty much depended on his mood…Sometimes it was one, sometimes there were three at a time… "

"And you simply accepted that?"

" You don't understand…It's like…I can't help it….From the very first moment a mortal dedicates their life to a God, a very special bond is created between them…"

" A **bond**? What kind of bond?"

" Well…I wouldn't really know how to describe it…But you feel the love for the God you are supposed to serve burning inside you- like an inextinguishable flame…It feels like the Elysian Fields when you're in his presence and when he's not there, it's like Tartarus…like…a void that can't be filled by anything else…."

"That sounds like torture…."

"A very sweet torture, that we all gladly accepted…"

" Ok…."

So where was I…..?

_Let's just say that things were pretty much bearable until the day** she** showed up…I had no serious competition, not in our temple, and I was Lord Ares' favorite -which guaranteed me at least a few nights a month in his bed….more than the rest of the priestesses could even dream of…._

I could instantly feel my stomach twisting at the thought….;

_Everything turned upside down when __**she**__ became his Chosen though…It was unheard of...**unthinkable** really….The God of War having a Chosen- and** a woman** to top it all! We all knew that he was the only God in Olympus that had refused for millennia to give a mortal such a great honor. His standards were- and still are- extremely high, you see, and not even Achilles himself had proven himself worthy of his attention…_

I could suddenly hear my heart drumming so loudly in my ears that I feared it was going to explode…So he and Xena did work together or something…Whatever it was, she must have been very important to him if he **chose** her.

_And yet, somehow , this mere peasant from Amphipolis had managed to captivate him to such extent that not only did he place her ahead of his armies but also ahead of any other priestess serving him…No one was more important than his precious Warrior Princess…Everyone knew about her, and every single one of us hated her with a passion, despite the fact that no one even knew how she looked like….She was a **mystery**…Prophecies said that she was supposed to be some raven haired beauty with eyes as blue as sapphires and lips as read as cherries…But we all know that most of the times prophecies as far away from the truth as a Centaur taking part at the Olympic games…_

At this point, I was literally on the verge of having a heart attack….Legends and prophecies had been told about Xena- **my friend, Xena?! **Why didn't** I** know about them? I was a Bard for crying out loud!

_His behavior changed almost right away….I guess from the moment she showed up, our lives have never been the same…She suddenly became the center of his universe, it was like he only breathed because she was breathing…He was entranced by her in a way I could have never imagined it possible….I don't know if he was really in love, because __**love**__ is too weak of a word to describe that accursed connection they shared, but let's just say that if her name wasn't always on his lips, it was only because it was always on his mind…._

I was **definitely** going to have a heart attack now…

" **Ares** in love?!"

"It's hard to believe huh? Imagine our shock when it hit us that he was drifting more and more away from us , probably seeking refuge in the arms of that unwelcomed intruder…No more group sex, no more decadent parties, no more drinking till sunrise, no more one on one time with him…Xena was all that mattered…."

"How did you meet her?"

_Her armies finally reached our area one summer day, probably during her third year of service…Three long years in which Ares acted as if we were all invisible, limiting our contact to affectionate caresses, mostly a brief, very dispassionate kiss on our foreheads….The situation had become absolutely intolerable…_

_I still remember it as if it were yesterday- the moment she first set foot in our temple, she __was alone, her soldiers had made camp at the foot of the hill…We were all going __about our daily chores, but, as if the Fates themselves __had commanded it, __time stopped when we saw her! She was of an indescribable beauty, I must confess, the prophecy hardly made her justice…She was** perfect** in every sense of the word…a walking Goddess, radiating a confidence I had only seen in one person up to that moment…."_

"**Ares**…." I finished for her, completely captivated by the story….She would have been a wonderful Bard…

" Yeah….."

_She walked past us as if we were statues, completely ignoring our presence, and definitely acting as if she owned the place. With unhurried but __ firm steps, __she got to the altar. We didn't dare articulate one sound, for deep inside, we all knew who she was…Plus, we were all either too petrified or too busy scanning her from head to toe to even dream on doing anything else. We all thought that she wanted to bring Lord Ares a sacrifice, thus thanking him for his divine intervention during her last battle or something…Our shock only turned into utter astonishment when we saw her grabbing an apple from the altar, and casually taking a bite out of it..._

"_Hey! You can't do that! " one of the younger priestesses shouted at her, visibly infuriated by the stranger's nonchalance. " Those are for Lord Ares. They are sacred fruits! ….Part of the ceremony….!"_

" What did Xena say?" I asked, literally holding my breath for the rest of the story.

"_It seems to me that I can…." - she acidly retorted while making herself comfortable __on our Lord's throne. " Do you happen to have some good __wine around here?"_

" _You might not have noticed, but you're not in a tavern, lady! __ You're in the temple of the God of War! Do you have a death wish or something?" Lethara broke out, almost as equally irritated as her sister, though she looked rather blown away than furious._

" _A death wish…?__No…I don't…Not any more, anyway…Why? Do you?" she asked in a low, threatening tone that made us all tremble..._

_Before any of us summoned up the courage __to answer in any way to that inconceivably obnoxious affront, Lord Ares made an appearance though, right behind the throne and under our very excited eyes….She might have been his Chosen but what she did was an unpardonable offense, and knowing the God of War as we did, we could easily anticipate how their little meeting was going to end…A sweet, vengeful smile found its way on our lips as we discreetly bowed our head to salute him…..It was time for another shock though…._

"What did he do?" I immediately asked almost exploding with curiosity..

_He started massaging her shoulders….And a very weird dialogue began between them. _

" _Ares…It was about time you showed up…." she said, addressing him as if he had been one of her soldiers. _

" _Princess…to what do I owe this __**rare**__ but incredible honor? " he softly asked, placing a sweet kiss on the top of her head, and let's just say that our smiles faded the very following second. _

" _I was in the area….I need some supplies for my army. "_

" _You can get them from Elateia…Some ten kilometers north east from here…"_

" _That's what I thought….Anyway, as I said, I was in the neighborhood and I decided to pay you a visit…."_

" _I thought you hated my temples…" he replied, with a smirk, finally ending his massage and casually descending the stairs and heading towards the altar table where he poured himself a glass of wine, making no sort of comments neither on the fact that she was sitting on his throne nor about the fact that we were standing there like rag dolls, __doing nothing at all except for staring stupidly at them. _

" _**Hate **__is a strong word." she said, taking another bite from that apple. " Let's just say I __**dislike**__ them, and leave it to that. "_

" _Would you care for some wine? " he inquired, while already pouring her a glass, not really waiting for an answer. _

"_Sure. I asked your priestesses for one, but they weren't very cooperative…"she let him know, winking at us. _

_His eyes immediately darkened at the news._

" _Is that so…? " he said, making another throne appear right next to hers..._

" _I'm sure they were busy doing …__**something **__**else**__ though…." she added, flashing us an evil, mocking glare._

" _I'm sure they were….They wouldn't have **knowingly** disrespected** my **__**Chosen, **__right girls?_ "

_We didn't dare offer a reply,our gazes now firmly fixing the floor. _

"_**Right girls**__**?!**" he asked once again, and this time, his voice thundered through the large hall, making even the columns tremble. _

"_Yes my Lord!"_

"'_**Cause what Xena wants, Xena gets**, I don't care how freaking busy you are with dusting this place up! Have I made myself understood?!" _

"_Yes my Lord!" we all answered in one voice, visibly shivering in fear. _

"_Now scram! Find something useful to do!" he ordered, handing the wine glass over to his Chosen…._

"Wow…So this type of relationship they have, goes... way back, huh?"

"Yeah….ten – twelve years….I really don't know exactly. All I know is that from that day on, the order given to all his temples was for his priestesses to serve her – even in his absence- as if she were him. Imagine our outrage!

" Why would he do that?!" I naturally asked, trying to find a reason behind his actions.

"He was obviously fascinated with her…with the power she could bring him…She was a fabulous warrior…nothing could stand in the face of her armies. She was like a destructive force of nature…Zeus himself was said to fear Lord Ares terribly back then…Olympus trembled at the perspective of his Warrior Princess conquering all Greece, thus crowning my Lord the new **King of the Gods**…."

"I had no idea that even happened! I mean…Xena was a great warrior, I agree, but…"

"You have no idea just how great….She was truly magnificent. I saw her training with my Lord a couple of times…She was breathtaking…And on the battlefield, she shined. Her soldiers worshiped her…like **literally**..."

" So…what was it that shocked you so much?" I asked, curious to find out how her story ended.

She cleared her throat before speaking, clenching her fists as if working up her courage to speak.

"I won't tell anyone…I promised…I keep my promises." I reminded her, noticing her hesitation.

_In the following three years I only saw her a couple of times…She didn't come by a lot, but I do know that she used to spend most of her free time either in Sparta or Macedonia, at least that's what the other priestesses claimed to have heard….For a long time, things were pretty much the same with Lord Ares, until one day when everything magically changed…He suddenly started bedding us again, but he was not the same anymore…He was unusually brutal, almost violent and despite the fact that most of us were thrilled to witness this rough but extremely pleasant displays of passion, I could sense that something had gone terribly wrong between him and his Warrior Princess, and that him having sex with us again wasn't going to end well…Not for us, anyway….Call it a premonition if you will….I think all of us felt it, but we were just way to desperate to get his attention to think about any other consequences…Some say it was because of the child they had lost…."_

"**They had a child?!**" I almost screamed out my surprise, and suddenly my legs felt like jelly….It was a good thing I was sitting.

" It appears so…She lost it though. Some swear an arrow hit her in the stomach during a battle, some blame Zeus, some say that Athena ordered her tortured and raped until she lost the child….They are all rumors- no one knows for sure and obviously no one dared ask…"

"I can't believe it! Xena has never mentioned anything about a child to me…."

" Can't say I'm surprised…."

_Anyway, all that volcanic sexual energy boiling inside him made us terribly happy, but definitely as equally reckless…And that led to a colossal mistake one evening…_

Needless to say, I was holding my breath for this part, dear Papyrus, cause I could sense that I was finally going to find out something crucial…

_It was early September, and it had been a rather hot day. Even inside the large temple halls, the air was heavy and barely breathable, the intense aroma of incense and sacred herbs making us all a bit edgy and even more needy than usual …Our Lord had graced us with his presence all day long, and some of us were still working hard at finishing the days' tasks while two others were giving him a massage. Sendra, our head priestess was seated on his knee, obviously in the dirty intention of turning him on…And he did look pretty turned on if you ask me, but none of us minded it….As long as he paid attention to us, everything was just peachy…._

_It wasn't long until he called me to pour him some more wine, and I just dropped whatever it was I was doing at the altar, and headed for his throne. By then, Sendra was already half naked, and his hand was roaming freely up and down her breasts…She looked ecstatic at his ministrations. I unwillingly smiled at the sight of him pleased like that, and I poured a bit of wine in the almost empty silver goblet he was holding and I was just about to leave when he ordered me to stay, saying that he might need my services a bit later…_

"The pig!" I couldn't help exclaiming, revolted with his attitude.

"I was actually thrilled.." she simply replied, offering me a candid but somewhat bitter smile.

_I remained there, close to his throne, the jug of wine still in my hand and Sendra had already started working her way into his pants when__** she**__ entered the temple. _

"Xena?!"

"Yes…." Draja answered, in a weak, secretive voice as if fearing that someone might actually hear her.

_I froze the moment I saw her coming towards us. Lord Ares didn't seem very surprised though, nor was he extremely impressed with her presence. I thought it was because they might have had a fight or something….Anyway, Sendra stupidly misinterpreted his reaction, absolutely certain that he didn't want her there, so, instead of running away with the speed of light, she simply stayed there, thinking it wouldn't hurt for someone to humiliate __**the Princess**__ a bit. Strangely enough, the other girls seemed to share her crazy, unspoken idea given that no one bowed their head or saluted her as she passed them by. By the time she reached my Lord's throne, I was the only one who showed her the proper respect, courteously asking __her if I could get her anything…_

I felt stiff, dear Papyrus. And my heart felt stiff too, cause I could now accurately predict what had happened that night…

_She cast me a contemptuous once over, arching an eyebrow at my question and I immediately bowed my head, taking a couple of steps back, offering her full access to the throne…_

_From where I was now standing, I could finally inspect her closely…With sneaky, careful peeks, I noticed that she was wearing her dark red leather amour…She was as beautiful as a goddess but visibly bothered by something and covered in the blood of her victims. She had probably just won another battle somewhere, I musingly told myself…_

_My Lord was seemingly too busy with suckling Sendra's nipples to pay any attention to her, much to the other girls' amusement- who had already started laughing behind her back. I on the other hand, I was way too terrified by what I felt was about to happen, to have that audacity…._

" _I could always come back, if you're busy" her words slashed the air, in a cold, steely voice, that finally made my Lord glance her away. Sendra on the contrary, was not that easily impressed, and, as if only meaning to infuriate her even more, with slow, languid moves, she unfastened my Lord's pants and began massaging his cock. _

My hand covered my mouth almost instantly….Xena must have surely killed that poor, brainless woman.

"She killed her…."I mumbled, staring at Draja in awe.

"Not really….and not right away…."

" _I'm never too busy for you, you know that….." he replied, closing his eyes for a second at the priestess' sensual ministrations. " Keep doing that, you're great at your job…."he told Draja, with a smirk. _

_My blood froze inside my veins at the death bringing glare shining in her eyes. _

" _I have news , from Piraeus…."_

"_You do? Did you manage to intercept their weapon suppliers?" _

"_The place is history…And Athens has just fallen along with it" _

" _That is amazing news! …Definitely the best I've heard in like…centuries! One worth celebrating, that's for sure! " he exclaimed__, hungrily moving his hand from the priestess' breasts underneath her short, light brown skirt._

"_I figured….Anyway, it was an exhausting day and I'm not really in the mood to celebrate ….In exchange though, I'd like to ask for a favor…"_

**" **_**A favor?"** he inquired, a rather bewildered expression painted on his face. _

"_Yeah. As your Chosen I do have that right, don't I?" _

"_Of course, my Dear. I'm just surprised. You've never asked for favors before."_

"_Well….it's a special occasion, isn't it?"_

"_It certainly is….So do tell me what does your heart desire, Princess?" _

_The jug almost fell out of my hands as I heard her request, despite the fact that I was holding on to it for dear life…_

"_That slut's head on a spike…."she said, casting a murderous glance Sendra's way, despite that disarmingly seductive smile she was displaying. My Lord simply replied in an equally unaffected tone, as if she had just made an ordinary comment about the weather or something…._

" _Who? This one?" _

"_My Lord!" Sendra panicked, looking at him with wide, imploring eyes._

" _Actually…..can I get a bit greedy?" Xena asked, going up the stairs straight to his throne, where she casually took a seat on the armrest, wrapping a hand around the God's neck, and without waiting for his answer, she just added " I want them all dead…."_

_And suddenly, there was utter, complete silence in the room….Not one whisper could be heard anymore, not one sound….nothing. They were all holding their breaths , hoping- or better said praying to all deities- that Lord Ares' adamant refusal would save them…_

"_Tsk, tsk tsk! Sweetheart….I'm afraid I can't do that…"my Lord mildly contradicted after careful consideration, a look of utter regret on his face, and for a moment there I could hear a few breaths of relief in the room. _

_Sendra's triumphant glare met the Warrior Princess' apparently defeated one for a brief moment- an inarticulated proclamation of her victory. _

"_See….these women have dedicated their lives to me…..They swore to serve me and I swore to** protect** them…I couldn't possibly hurt them…"Lord Ares explained, his hand resting casually on Xena's leg. _

_Despite the physical distance between us, I could feel the stench of the blood- now almost dry- on her body, and my stomach twisted at the association. Somehow, Lord Ares' didn't appear to be the least bothered by it, on the contrary, I guess he actually enjoyed the smell. _

"_That's too bad…." she replied, tracing the contour of his lips with her index, while grinning devilishly at the priestess he was still holding on his knee. **"Still**…__**they didn't swear anything to me, did they?" **__she questioned , her hand now gliding teasingly down his chest, through the opening of his leather vest, and the instant I noticed the effect she had on him, I knew it…._

"_That's true…."his answer came loud and clear and the very following second, all doors of the temple were automatically shut with a noise that reminded me of a devastating earthquake on the island of Santorini…_

" _So uh…..Can I go play, Daddy?" she purred in a dark, feral voice and this time, the jug fell from my hands with a loud thud, breaking into hundreds of little pieces, all that dark crimson wine now staining the pure snow white of the marble floor…._

" _Don't get too wild now…."he responded with a bemused chuckle, seizing her lips in a brief but passionate kiss to Sendra's boundless horror. _

"_I think I'll leave the best for last….." she finally stated, smiling devilishly at the priestess, while drawing her sword. " Enjoy the show, Sweetie…."_

" Did she …." I couldn't even get myself to utter it….I couldn't even imagine it, let alone say it out loud….

"Every single one of them….For her it was a game, you see…She clearly enjoyed it…Hearing their desperate screams, having them beg for mercy…..their futile attempts to defend themselves with candle sticks…"

"By the Gods….I can't believe Xena would do that…."

"Trust me, you don't know the first thing about her…"

I unconsciously wiped away the tears that had started rolling down my cheeks at some time during the story, and I kept listening, though somehow absent mindedly to the rest of the disgusting details…..

" _I don't really know how much it lasted….but once she was done with them, there was blood everywhere- on the floor, on the walls, on the curtains, on the altar…It didn't look like a temple now, but more like a slaughter house…._

_Sendra and I were the only ones left, and as she came back to Ares- whose hand was firmly gripped into the priestess' hair- she just smiled, again, the innocent, childish smile of a person who hadn't done a bad thing in her life, and I couldn't help thinking how gorgeous and radiant she looked despite the horrible things she had just done…_

_She wiped the blade clean against Sendra's dress before she raised her chin up with the tip of the sword. _

" _So….how did you like the show, you little slut?" _

_She didn't say anything, probably too shocked at the thought of what awaited her. _

" _I see you didn't quite finish what you started.." she remarked, taking a look at Lord' Ares' still visible erection. _

" _My Lord please!" she finally begged, bursting into an uncontrollable wave of tears. _

" _Sorry, Doll. You should have known better…" _

" _My Lady….." she tried, but her attempt was doomed from the start._

"_Oh….so now I'm your Lady…..Kneel, you worthless piece of trash!"_

_With a push, Lord Ares threw her at her executioner's feet. _

" _Now let's see….You only need one hand to please your Lord, right?" she inquired, hinting __at the very passionate way in which she had been stroking him earlier…._

" _No! My Lady please! Have mercy!" she kept screaming, but soon, her right hand flew away to the other end of the hall and despite the heartbreaking symphony of screams that followed, the Warrior Princess didn't appear at all moved. _

"_Oops! Was that your __**right**__ hand? Damn! You were right handed weren't you? Silly me, I should have cut the other one…..Well…let's do that too while we're at it, I mean, what use can you possibly have for a left hand? You could always please him with your mouth…."_

"Stop it! Just stop it!" I yelled, jumping from the edge of the bed and covering my ears…."I can't take this anymore….She killed her didn't she?"

" More like she let her bleed to death, trashing in her own blood!"

"By Gaia herself! I'm gonna throw up!" I said, and Draja immediately rushed to pour me a glass of lemonade.

"Here drink this. You'll feel better….."

I strongly doubted that I would ever feel better again…Once my stomach calmed down, I couldn't help asking though….

"Why did she let **you** live…?"

"I don't know…..Maybe because she didn't perceive me as a threat or maybe because it was her own private enjoyment to know that I had witnessed all those horrors and I was alive to tell the story and fear her…I was close enough to joining the others in death though…."

"You were?"

"Yeah….."

_Once Sendra was dead, she turned her attention to me…I was still at the foot of the stairs, trembling like a leaf, not daring to lift my eyes from the floor. _

"_What's your name?" she asked, now placing the sword at my neck. _

"_Draja my Lady. "_

"_Why aren't you running?"_

"_I guess it wouldn't help much…."_

"_That's right. Look at that….beautiful, delicious carnage….What do you think about it?" she inquired, tilting my chin up with the sharp sword, forcing me to look around. _

_I didn't really know what to say...The only thing I could do was fight the impulse of bursting into tears..._

"_I don't think anything, my Lady. I'm not here to think, I'm here to serve. But if it pleases you, I can form an opinion..." _

_She seemed to like my answer. _

"_That won't be necessary….Do you wish to live?"_

"_If it pleases you…"_

"_Hmmm….let's see what your Lord has to say about it….."she casually said, glancing towards Lord Ares who simply waved his hand at her, signaling that he couldn't care less what happened to me and that it was her choice. _

"What?! That son of a bitch! How could he do that?! And you're still here serving him?! Are you crazy?!"

"Actually, believe it or not, it was the only thing he could do…His apparent indifference saved my life. He knew Xena. He knew that regardless of his answer she would have killed me anyway, she only need the incentive to do it. So he just pretended that he didn't care…..It worked…"

" _Go to your room. I'll call you if I need you…" she told me, and it was everything I need to hear, cause the very following second, I was dragging my feet towards my chambers, finally allowing myself to cry….. _

_All doors were closed shut though, there was no way for me to enter it, so I just hid behind a column, waiting for her to leave. _

_The following scene is still incredibly vivid in my memory, just like most of the horrors that took place that night. …Xena literally threatening My Lord, her sword, grazing his chest to the point where it drew blood is one of the things I have never managed to understand…How could he allow her so much power over him? ….The wound closed immediately, that's true, but the thought alone still gives me the chills._

"_From now on, I'll kill each and every one of those whores who even dare think that they are more important to you than I am, let alone look at me the wrong way! Make sure you let them know if you don't want to personally start cleaning all your temples ! " she barked her order at him. _

_His answer left me speechless._

"_As long as I have front row seats, you can do whatever the fuck you want, Princess…Whatever makes you happy." he said, slowly pushing the sword away with his hand, without breaking his gaze. _

" **Whatever makes you happy, Princess**….That was his answer to everything she wanted, back in those days…" Draja added, making me frown ever more.

_With an expertly fast move, he then kicked the blade out of her hand , and once it landed in his, he pointed it at her, cutting the straps of her battle dress and letting it fall to the ground. A wave of his hand later, she was completely naked before him. _

" _Get on your knees…..You still haven't conquered everything that was to be conquered today…."_

" I watched them four hours, fucking right about everywhere…On the throne, on the floor, in all that blood, on the altar. It still makes my skin crawl…"

" Thank you for sharing this with me…" I simply stated, barely restraining the impulse to cover my mouth with the back of my hand again..." I think I'll go to my room…." I added, slamming the door shut behind me, without glancing behind. Her words were still echoing in the back of my head…

"_**Whatever makes you happy, Princess…"**_


	12. Anesthetized

A kiss! I could not believe my eyes! After all this time in which I almost gave up hope, they were finally sharing a kiss! **A real kiss!** One that did not have one trace of deceit in it….And to make everything even sweeter, neither of them had hidden agendas on this occasion. For once, it was a simple display of pure, utter love….primal love** and** longing all together! The perfect mix for the ultimate outcome!

Good Gaia, I have always known I have a gift when it comes to bringing people together- not that I had an actual contribution this time, but let's face it….sometimes my charmingly divine presence somewhere is more than enough for people to solve whatever love problem they might have- even when they don't have the slightest clue I'm there! What more could I say? I'm a genius! Bro' owes me one ….like again!

**XXX **

With that thought in mind, and with her brain numbed by the drug like effect of the sheer passion radiating from her favorite couple's heated bodies, the Love Goddess decided that she had seen enough. Everything was going to be just peachy from that moment on between the War God and the "Warrior Babe" - at least in her opinion- so, with her mind finally at peace, she decided that it was high time to pay her Bard friend a visit….

**XXX **

What Aphrodite didn't know though, was that she had been just seconds away from witnessing something really worth watching, something that would have really made her think twice before jumping to conclusions...

The touch of his lips pressed against hers was like oxygen to fire. She had never tried hard enough to resist him - she silently scolded herself as his tongue demanded entrance, thrusting, swirling and taking everything away from her, from her so called self control to her self induced conviction that he was bad- extremely bad- for her…But for some stupid reason that she didn't want to admit- not even to herself- she allowed her yearning soul to get lost for a moment in that flawless world of sick, carnal passion in which there was no one else but them, in which there were no consequences, only limitless, mind fogging pleasure, in which the addictive touch of his gentle hand cupping her left breast – made her think that he was actually trying to cup her heart…..

She moaned softly into his mouth as he slipped his tongue even deeper, and her fingers clenched almost wildly into his hair in response, dazed by that sudden magic that had sprung between them…It was indeed the same, hear mind moaned along with her, unable to think clearly anymore….He was right….despite the passing of time nothing had changed….The feel of him, that unique smell of his skin, the sheer, dark power radiating from behind his every gesture , all combined to transfix her, to enslave her her will along with her body ….

With a strong enough push to send a mortal flying to the other side of the room, she managed put a bit of distance between them, biting her lower lip hard enough to draw blood, hard enough to bring her back to reality , forcefully pulling herself out of that sweet abyss of emotions he had pushed her into.

"Stop it!" she commanded in a low, hoarse voice, still intoxicated with the incredibly arousing sensation of having him so close, so unbearably close to her….The perspective of them together again had been haunting her all morning, ever since he desperately rushed to protect her when his name recklessly escaped her treacherous lips….And now he was obviously taking advantage of her weakness, the Bastard, playing her like a stringed puppet…..She never learned….

" You know I'm right. " he spoke in a voice at least ten times calmer than hers had been, his eyes still fixed on her blood red, swollen and unspeakably tempting lips….For the love of Zeus , what was it about this woman that always pushed him to the brink of insanity? He couldn't really tell, but truth be told, he didn't actually care too much…All he knew was that he would have done right about anything to have her back, to have things the way they used to be…" And that kiss, was all the proof I needed….."

" It was just a kiss , Ares…It didn't mean anything " she muttered, the first thing that came into her mind really, not knowing what else to say…

"…Just a kiss, huh..?" he playfully inquired, trying hard not to laugh in her face. That was the most ridiculous self defense statement he had heard in months….Oh, how he had missed her!

She mentally slapped herself a couple of times, struggling to keep her expression unreadable while with the most graceful of moves , he cupped her chin, brushing his thumb over the little dent in its center. He was absolutely breathtaking….Charmingly manipulative as always...

" Don't do this.." she murmured, in a lower, almost pleading tone.

" Why not, Darling…? "

" Just don't….Ares….don't delude yourself into thinking that we can turn back time... I'm not the same anymore…."she patiently explained, angry with herself for having even allowed that discussion to start. She should have known better…

" Oh yeah? Then how do you explain what just happened?... That chemistry, the fire, that bloody connection that just refuses to break….? You can't deny it….It's exactly the way I put it…It's like time stopped…As if it all happened yesterday…" he insisted, smiling a bit smugly at the uneasy look she gave him.

" Well it sure didn't happen yesterday and that was definitely no chemistry! It was just a…."she bluntly contradicted, stopping in mid sentence as no reasonable lie took shape fast enough on the tip of her tongue.

"A…?" he inquired in a bemused tone, eager to hear the rest of her ludicrous reason.

" Never mind. Whatever it was , it shouldn't have happened, and it has nothing to do with fire or …."

Before she finished that line though, the War God' s lips hungrily found hers again and something must have exploded inside her at the contact, for not all the words in the world could explain that wave of desire coursing through her when he pushed her ferociously back against the pillows, and despite that ripping pain coming from her shoulder, the muffled cry that soon broke into fading echoes in his mouth had nothing to do with physical suffering but with a strong, uncontrollable need to feel him that was tearing her soul apart from the inside…

This time, instead of listening to her reason- the little that she had left anyway- Xena decided to stop fighting his assault, her treacherous body now as pliant and as fluid as silk, arching into his own as his hand started raising the hem of her shift….His touches were electrifying, and her heart, slamming rebelliously against her ribs wasn't precisely doing her a favor…For an endless second, she was willing to throw it all away….logic, self control, their burdening past….Every nerve in her body just hummed with desire, lust annihilating even the warm sensation of blood trickling slowly from her wound…


	13. All Consuming Obsession

Not for all the gold in the world would our Warrior Princess have been able to explain- not even to herself let alone to others- why was it that whenever she was in his presence, not only did her body refuse to obey her commands but her mind lost all contact with reality…It was as if some invisible sponge would magically wipe away everything the Bastard had done….the lying, the cheating, the manipulation….the lies again….All the pain, the inner turmoil, the frustration, everything seemed to fade away the moment his lips would brush against hers…

"Gods….." she only managed to whimper in between breaths as his hand pushed her shift upper still, and for a split second, it appeared as if the almost tragic events that had marked that early morning, had imperceptibly vanished like a puff of smoke. All of a sudden, there was no arrow, no wound, no nothing...only that electrifying zing of sensations travelling at the speed of a light from her neck -that he was now kissing- to the juncture of her legs…

She had missed him beyond words, that part of the story was pretty clear to her, and despite the fact that she would have never said it out loud, she longed so much to fell him filling her, stretching her that it ached- in the most delicious way possible…It was a rather familiar pain that made her quiver with need, a pain that only he was able to ease….

"Ahhh.." the sound escaped her lips when his fingers stroked her through the soaked, silken underwear she was wearing…As for the War God, he was blinded with passion…Except for the blood singing in his ears , the deafening pounding of his heart and the maddening idea of having her pulsing around his cock again after all this time, there was nothing else ….

That's probably why the startling sensation of the thick, warm liquid abundantly wetting his other hand pulled him almost brutally out of his peaceful oblivion and threw him in less than a blink into an entirely different state. His heart was still throbbing in his temples, but for a completely different reason.

"Wait , wait, wait! Shit!" he exclaimed, staring in disbelief at his now dark crimson hand…

" It's just blood…" she incoherently muttered while pulling him back into a mind blowing kiss that made him wish he had been as selfish as to ignore what he had just seen…..

With a gentle but firm gesture this time it was him the one to put that so much needed distance between them.

"It's not **just** blood. It's** your** blood...I really need to change that bandage, Princess. Come on, up you go…" he said without giving her the chance to protest, pulling her carefully to a sitting position and it was only then that she noticed that alarming quantity of blood trickling down her chest…..

**XXX **

" Hi there Sweetie Pie!"

The Love Goddess' voice made me jump.

"Dite! Hi! What are you doing...here?" I hardly got the time to voice out the question that an endless string of sentences began to roll off her tongue. She was unstoppable, and the energy just radiating from behind her every word was a hard thing to miss...She sure was happy about something….Well…at least someone on the face of the planet was….

"Me?! Nothing really... It was getting extra boring up on Olympus , you know? No hair appointments until later this afternoon, I've already got my nails done, did the shopping and stuff, hooked up a few cute couples…the usual..." she said, casting a furtive glance at her medium long neon pink nails….She obviously took a lot of pride in them.

"It was high time for a break though…" she started again, on an even more enthusiastic tone than before. " A girl also needs to relax from time to time right? Stress can definitely damage the skin! Not to mention it can like totally mess up your karma- and bad karma is like...Sweet Gaia, I don't even think about it…! "

I tried not to roll my eyes at her superficiality….At this point I couldn't care less about physical appearance and karma….All I could think about was Xena- Xena beheading some priestesses to be more precise and Ares fucking her in a pool of blood!...The room was suddenly spinning again….I really needed to sit down….

" So, anyway….I came to talk to Bro'…..Have you seen him today by any chance?"

" He left earlier this morning….He said he had some things to take care of…."I somehow managed to articulate, my voice barely audible though….I'm actually surprised she did understand what I was blabbering there, dear Papyrus- Gods know I wasn't really sure what it was that I actually said.

" Oh….ok….Sooooo…?" she anxiously inquired, obviously implying something that I just couldn't understand.

"So what?!"

"What to you mean **what**? Like watcha' doin' here chicka? Don't tell me you and Bro….."

I instantly reacted at her ludicrous assumption.

"What?! No! Definitely not! I'm here with Xena…." I defensively replied, completely taken aback by the fact that she had even considered the possibility.

"The Warrior Babe's here?! "

It finally hit me that she probably didn't have a clue about what had happened. How could she? Besides fashion, nails, hair appointments and sex she couldn't think about anything else.

"Yes. She was hurt during a battle and Ares brought her here." I answered, and I could immediately feel my brows drawing into a frown as a stab of something that I couldn't really describe stung me right in the heart.

"Wow! That's like totally rocking! How did** that** happen?"

Naturally, I gave her a perplexed stare...My friend almost hugging Hades in the morning was** totally rocking?!**

" She said she was attacked by …" I started to explain, still mystified by her attitude.

"Not that! " she cut in, rolling her eyes at my line. " **Bro' bringing her here!** Was she out of it or something?"

" What ? No...…." I bit, not really in the mood for an interrogatory.

I swear it dear Papyrus, some people just can't live minding their own business!

" ….She called him…..It's pretty surprising, huh?" I ended on a lower note.

" Surprising?! More like** shocking**! "

"That's what I think too! I mean, he's her worst enemy for crying out loud! Out of all the people in the world…"

"**Her enemy?! Bro' ?! " **she laughed, waving her hand at the thought. " That's a good one!"

I just don't get it…Why does everyone assume they know her better than I do?! I'm her best friend…Come to think about it, that's what I used to think…In all appearances, I should really start doubting my own judgement now...

"What do you mean ?!" I asked, eager to her her own version on the story….Lately, everyone seemed to have a version to their so called love-hate relationship…." They 're always fighting, always on the verge of killing each other…."

" Pfffff! Maybe in bed! Have you ever seen them fight?"

Did she say** in bed?!** Did I hear her correctly ?! No…that couldn't be…he was part of Xena's past at a certain point, yes- in a strange way that my brain still refuses to accept-….but he has nothing to do with her present….

" More times than I could count! He looked always **more than determined** to gut her like a fish if you ask me! " I simply answered, trying to bock the first part of her line.

"Oh please! Like Bro would put it, that was only foreplay! Trust me Gabby, he wouldn't even need to put too much effort in it! A snap of his fingers- at most- would be enough for him to break her neck. He's a God remember? I hate to break it to you, but, let's keep it real...no matter how skilled our Warrior Babe is, she's no match for him!"

" Yeah well allow me to disagree…Ares might be a God but Xena…."

"She's only mortal Gabby, and mortals are easy to break. But anyway, let's leave that aside for now, and do tell me, what's with the long face? Come on! Tell aunt Ditie what's wrong! "

I did my best not to burst into tears, dear Papyrus. Xena was everything to me…And it only took one blasted morning to feel that I had been travelling with a complete stranger all this time!

" I just don't get it…."

" Get what, Sweetie?" she asked, taking a seat by my side.

" It's nothing Dite. Forget it…."

"Now, now! Come on! I hate to see you so upset! It's depressing! What's bothering you?"

I hesitated a bit before voicing my question, but I ended up telling myself that it didn't really hurt to ask…She was probably as clueless about them as I was…

" This might sound stupid, but….do you know anything about Xena and Ares? I mean about them as a….**.couple**?" I stressed, praying to all muses to receive a negative reply. That could have certainly made me feel better.

" If I know anything about** my favorite couple in the whole wide world? !** Honey, I'm the **Goddess of Love**, I know **everything**!" she exclaimed, apparently thrilled by the subject.

" Everything?" I asked in a low, shaky voice as all my fears seemed to be coming to life…

**"E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!" **

And here it came..the final blow...

" Then please enlighten me…. were they really **together**…? As in…**together, ** together?!" I said, barely voicing out the last word, as if not saying it too loud would minimize its effects.

" Do I like pink?! " she said rolling her eyes. " Duh! Of course they were, Honey! And they sure made an awesome couple too! A match made in the Elysium ! "

" **Made**…So they're no longer together, right? …"

" Sadly….Though, knowing them the way I do, this separation won't last long….Bro would go totally ballistic…."

" He would?"

" Yeah….he's crazy about her…"

" **He is crazy**, I give you that. How did this happen Dite?! How did they…Why would Xena even…..This is beyond my understanding, really…." I inquired, trying hard not to sound desperate, and trying not to forget to breathe when the Love Goddess began to speak.

"Well, you know…to make a long story short, after Xe's baby brother died, she was like totally depressed, completely heartbroken , the poor thing! And you know how these things go…..Bro was at the right place at the right time, and first she cried on his shoulder, then she cried on his chest, then she cried on his …"

"I get it! I get it Dite, I do…! " I broke out, outraged by the picture that had automatically began projecting before my eyes. " No need to leave any permanent brain scars! So that good for nothing Bastard took advantage of the fact that she was hurt and broken!"

"Not really….I'd rather say he was the only one who never left her side when she needed him most, when there was no one else to support her…..It' s pure, traditional, old fashioned romance, really….I think I'm gonna cry….." she then added, and to my boundless surprise her eyes actually looked a bit puffy…

" You're saying it as if Ares were some kind of Prince Charming !"

" Well did you ever take a good look at that Hunk?! He kinda is! " she said, flashing a bright grin, forgetting all about the fact that she was right about to burst into tears just a few second earlier.

" That selfish, lying, manipulating Jerk is far from any similar archetype Dite, sorry…"

" You're only saying that because you don't really know him…"

" Oh I know him well enough! Better than I would have ever wanted to, thank you! Anyway, why did they break up if they had such a fairy tale relationship? Was it because of the child Xena had lost?"

"How do you know that?!" she asked, shock written all over her pretty face.

" So it is true…..They did have a child…" I concluded, and suddenly, I felt as if the roof of that accursed temple had fallen over my head…

"They did- a regrettable tragedy... I don't have the stomach to recall it right now though….It's not even the reason they broke up anyway…"

"It isn't ?"

"No….It was Xe….She lost it…I've always told Bro that no mortal should have the amount of power that he gave her…There was no way for her absorb all that dark energy without any consequences….The day he gave her the Dark Chakram, their entire universe turned upside down….She spun completely out of control…"

I instinctively covered my heart dear Papyrus….To much information for one day…

"It was** Ares** the one who gave her the…?"

"…the round killing thingy, yeah. And don't give me that look….I did tell him it was not a proper gift for a lady, but he wouldn't listen…I suggested a ring….He went for that strange looking junk instead…."

" I had no idea that she had it from him."

"Well, know you now….In his vision it was the ultimate proof of love for his perfect Princess….The Warrior Babe fell instantly in love with her new toy …And more than that, she fell in love with the immense power it brought her…"

"What power did it have? "

This was definitely interesting…I had no idea Dite knew so much about the subject…

" The power to rule over nations….in fear, in **terror** , in blood….It demanded blood and sacrifice since it drew its power from there. Before either of them realized, Xe's soul had gone as dark as night….Bro was in shock….he didn't know what to do, how to fix her….With every fight, he lost more and more of her each day….until she finally left him and fled in the far away lands of Chin where she made sure to smother even the last sparkle of light still flickering within her…."

"By the Gods! **Everything happened because of him**, Dite! Oh how I hate him!"

" Don't say that , Sweetie! Bro' loves her to the moon and back…They belong together…Maybe this is a chance for them to…."

"Don't even say it! His love is poison for Xena! He will only get his claws into her again over my dead body!" I shouted, turning my back at the Goddess, now angry even with her…How could she stand by and watch? Why didn't** she** do anything?!

**XXX**

The Love Goddess took a long, pensive look at the furious/ frustrated/ disappointed Bard. She was a dangerous cocktail of barely repressed emotions right now….

"_Can't say I didn't try to stay out of it, Bro'. I did my best here…..Now let's do things my way….." _she said to herself. The last thing she wanted was for someone to go all wild and ruin everything for her brother and his Princess, now that they were finally on the right track again.

With an elegant wave of her hand, the blonde Olympian made a fuchsia, diamond shaped bottle materialize in her tiny palm. A silent puff was enough for a rose scented glittering dust to be sprayed around the fuming Bard.

" Don't talk like that! Despite what you might think, Bro' is incredibly cool and funny and…" she began, a wide smile stretching on her face.

" **Irresistible**_ ….."_ the Bard automatically stated closing her eyes while saying it, all her senses suddenly invaded by the flowery aroma that had invaded the room -an utterly unusual expression on her face, definitely looking as if she were high….

" That too….." Aphrodite agreed, after a split second of instinctive hesitation ….

" I need to find him….We need to clarify a few things….So much have happened between us lately... " Gabrielle continued, her eyes holding a very special, familiar sparkle….

" You do that, Sweetie Pie….." it was all the Goddess got to say before the Bard stormed out the door. " Whaddya know? I guess this baby works after all…I'm a genius! " she exclaimed in excitement, without casting a second glance at the pretty crystal bottle on which she could have bet her godhood that **Lifelong** **Friendship **and not** All Consuming Obsession **was written**….**


	14. The laws of nature

**THIS WAS FUN TO WRITE :))) AM I CRAZY IF I'M LAUGHING AT MY OWN FICTIONS ? :))) **

" I thought that the reason why you tormented me the way you did this morning, was precisely to prevent **this**…" the Warrior Princess stated on a playful tone that was probably supposed to unconsciously mask her sudden concern. " A girl can't trust anyone these days…"

" I told you I should have tied your hands up, but you never listen, do you? I could have pushed deeper... " the God replied, and despite the fact that the last thing he was feeling during those terribly long seconds was amusement, he couldn't help the light little chuckle that escaped his throat the moment he heard her laughing nervously at her own line.

" I'm glad that even in dramatic situations such as this one, I can still entertain you."

" Well, that's the only thing you seem to be doing right lately, so…"she bit, moaning throatily as he removed her blood soaked bandage.

" That's only because you've been keeping me at bay ever since you decided that I wasn't good enough for you anymore…" he reminded her, trying hard not to sound too accusing.

The mere mention of the subject was reason enough to set the Warrior Princess ablaze though, and in spite of the distressing sensation of blood now trickling freely down her breast, she focused all her energy on at least mentally attacking the God.

" It might have slipped your flawless mind that you kept me locked in that accursed fortress for months as if I had been some caged animal! Does it actually surprise you that I want nothing to do with you any more?!" she growled, glaring daggers at him.

When he answered, Ares' voice was still apparently calm and unaffected by her upfront reproach, but she could clearly see that she had struck a chord.

" And what might have slipped **your** mind, my dear, is that your sick, devious little brain had been planning an assault on mount Olympus- and as much as the idea appeals to me - the thought itself can still bring me on the brink of orgasm, by the way- we both know that you wouldn't have made it alive out of that battle….**Neither of us**, to be more accurate…" he casually counterattacked while with a wave of his hand he made clean cloths, water and ointments appear on the small nightstand near her bed.

" Oh please! That was **hardly** an excuse to hold me captive !"

" You're just overreacting. You were **hardly** a prisoner; you had all the fortress at your disposal and an army of priestesses at your every beck and call…**Plus**, how exactly would you have expected me to find a way to neutralize the power of the Dark Chakram** and** keep an eye on you at the same time? A few more days and that nightmarish full scale attack against dear old Dad and his gang would have been as real as the air we breathe...and with a tragic outcome, to top it all! I needed to do something about it didn't I? You weren't precisely thinking straight..."

" I could control myself!" she barked angrily, but despite her loud tonality she didn't sound pretty convinced of her own words...And how could she have been?

"Right….just like that time when you massacred all the northern cities under the pretext that they were secretly building an alliance with Macedonia, conspiring to go up against you when in fact most of those pathetic mortals had never held a sword in their hands…like** ever** in their lives?! "

"Well who was it that gave me that accursed weapon in the first place?! "

" It was a mistake that I've lived to regret, wouldn't you say?" he asked a bit sharply, while carefully cleaning the area around her wound to prevent infection and gently applying a new layer of herbal mixture on the surface of the laceration to help stop the bleeding.

It had been indeed a stupid, very stupid and deplorable mistake…Even the disty Aphrodite had warned him about it….Enslaved by his legendary self destructive pride and thirst for power, as he was, he had naturally refused to listen though….Consequently, he was still paying the price….Both of them were.

" …How about you almost beating me to death after that night with Hercules? Was that a mistake too?"

" You shouldn't have pushed me the way you did and you know it. Getting back at me by having sex with that spoiled loser was definitely the worst idea you've ever had."

" Don't even dare put the bl…." she began, but as soon as a fresh bandage covered her shoulder, her chance to throw some more things in his face was gone, his full attention now focused solely on the sheer rage radiating from the intense blue of her moons and on the drugging sound of the blood boiling inside her veins.

The violent kiss that followed knocked the breath out of her, throwing her mind into a sweet swirl of numbing oblivion …His lips were firm and possessive as he claimed her, tasting like sweet, summer wine, raw power, and excitement. Why on Zeus' green earth was she even fighting this again, she had to ask herself ? Her poor heart had been hurting terribly all that time, and having to constantly pretend otherwise felt like Tartarus...

On the other hand, a slightly different question kept nagging the God's placid serenity. He would have done everything in the world for this irritatingly stubborn and frustrating woman but somehow, he always ended up hurting her…How was that even possible…?

"I love you…" he unhurriedly whispered against her lips once he pulled away an inch, his forehead resting against her own briefly before leaning down to kiss the area between her jaw and ear. " Everything I've ever done was in your best interest, even when I only managed to screw what we had big time…and I miss you so much, Sweet…" he said, his lips now brushing temptingly against her earlobe.

" Stop it…" she murmured, back, barely finding the right words, barely regaining the ability to string a sentence together….This wasn't right and she knew it…It was not why she was even there in the first place…Too much had happened between them to just give in and listen to her aching heart...

"Can you deny it….?"

" Was framing me for murder also in my best interest? …Or embodying my father…? And how about that time when you asked the Furies to …"

" I didn't know what else to do.." he cut in, know searching for her gaze. " …you sure struggled to burn all the bridges between us…"

" And I had all the reasons in the world to do just that!" she pointed out, clinging desperately to the same reasons she had ceaselessly repeated in her head, over and over again ever since she had left him.

He refused to budge one inch.

"Fine….." he agreed, softly caressing her cheek with his thumb, and only then did it hit him that despite having forcefully kissed her, she hadn't made the minimum of effort to push him away…..His heart fluttered wildly at the realization. " …You were right to be angry at me…but stop pushing me out of your life... Haven't you punished me long enough already?"

" Not really….no" she sternly replied, arching a harsh eyebrow at him, only to rapidly change her expression when she noticed the pain engraved on his godly features.

" Ares….I know you don't feel the same, but we can't possibly go back to what we had….Me leading your armies, that will never happen again…Not in this lifetime…I'm not what you want…what you need…Not any more…."

" What are you talking about? I've been around for a few millennia now, Xena….I know what I want…I want my Princess…"

" You want the **warrior **in me! You want the power... you want the thrill of battle, the blood and the challenge…."

" I want **you**…" the words left his lips, so powerfully clear that for a second there, she was speechless.

She just shook hear head, looking aside, trying hard too keep her cool…In a way, she didn't belong to him anymore, and it pained her dearly to get her her treacherous, unreasonable heart to admit it…

"I'm not the one you love…not any more…The time for you and me has been and gone..Just accept it and let's get this over with."

It was a heart wrenching conclusion…. Luckily, Ares wasn't the type of man to take **NO** for an answer….or to ever accept defeat for that matter…There was no **defeat** in his vocabulary….**minor setback, temporary delay** maybe, but defeat…? Never.

" Meet me half way…." he proposed.

" What?!"

" Look...I'm willing to accept the fact that you conquering the known world for me is not an option, that saving the coward and fighting Cyclops is your new hobby, Tartarus I can even accept the fact that the blonde Harpie is your new lapdog….but gimme me another chance here, it's all I'm asking….."

She was speechless.

"Are you serious?! "

" Do I look like I'm joking?"

" You do realize that as your Chosen, I will no longer lead your armies, shout your name in battle …"

" As long as you shout it in bed, it's perfectly fine by me. " he responded with a boysih smile, without sounding the least offensive though.

Nevertheless, before our Warrior Princess even managed to process that information, the Bard's restless voice was already grazing their eardrums in the most unpleasant of ways…..

**XXX **

I just couldn't believe it, dear Papyrus….How could I have missed it all that time? He was sooooooooooo ….I can't even find the right word to describe him, I mean that deep, dark gaze, the seductive danger radiating from his perfectly sculpted body….those rock hard muscles…**And** most importantly, how could I have been so blind?! I mean, he always used to drop by for one reason or the other- under the lame pretext that he had a bone to pick with Xena, when in fact it was little ol' me he was after! – making silly remarks whenever I was around…He must have been so nervous every time we crossed paths…..

With those thoughts in mind, I literally ran down the long corridor, heading towards my wounded friend's room. I just had to share with her my latest revelation, certain that she was going to feel exceedingly relieved to find out that she had nothing to worry about any more….Ares was not after her…he was after me! He was in love with me!

You can obviously imagine my shock when I pushed the doors open and saw **him** by **her** side on the bed, his hands caressing her ….chest…..

" What's going on here?"

The words left my lips almost mechanically while I kept staring at them in utter disbelief. This was not something I had expected to see….

"Excuse me?!" my dark Prince Charming replied, a bit taken aback by the acid in my usually soft and tender voice…Oh how he hated to see me upset!

"I mean…uh….is Xena ok ?!" I mumbled, seeing the bandages on the nightstand. They were soaked in blood , so I made an effort to conceal my rage, but I just couldn't help throwing_** the Princess** _ a sharp enough gaze to let her know that only because she had been careless enough as to let an arrow hit her that didn't mean she had a right to try and seduce **my man**….

"Since you asked, she actually was, until a few seconds ago….**more than ok** that is…" Ares answered in a low, velvety voice….

Have I ever told you about his voice, dear Papyrus….? It is always deep and husky and….mmmm…Let's just say that it's the kind of voice that could easily make a girl reach the conclusion that she is overly dressed….I sure had that sensation when he turned around to look at me….His eyes roamed up and down my body for a few delicious seconds, and I was officially on fire….

Despite my utter excitement though, I didn't miss that last part of his reply. I immediately frowned at him.

" What is **that** supposed to mean?"

"I've just started bleeding again." Xena answered instead. The two faced bimbo! She was trying to trick him into feeling sorry for her…..I mean come on, she had been hit by an arrow, not a Scythian battle axe ! Did I just call her a bimbo? Why did I do that?!

"Oh….." I answered, a bit relieved that it was not what I had initially imagined. Something was still bothering me though…. " And you were trying to stop the bleeding by caressing her…bandage?" I asked, fully ignoring Xena and focusing solely on my new found flame.

"I was told it works in most of the cases. "he nonchalantly responded, obviously trying to make me jealous, probably testing the waters, unsure of my feelings….. Nevertheless, that didn't mean I liked the fact that he was standing that close to Xena !

" It doesn't seem to be one of the cases, now is it…? " I retorted, closing in the distance between us, blood racing in my veins when he was just an arm's length away….

All this time, he couldn't take his eyes off me ….Sketching a faint smile, I grabbed him by the arm- the perfect excuse to touch him. I couldn't help shivering at the contact. His skin was warm, radiating power and ….and his perfume….it was, oh Gods…..addictive…!

"Move it !" I then exclaimed, pulling him up and taking a seat in his place , on Xena's side. " You don't have the slightest clue about what you should be doing here. "

**XXX **

There was definitely something wrong with the Bard. Ever since she had set foot into the room, I could feel her gaze lingering on me, scanning every inch of my body as if I were some piece of big, juicy stake….Maybe she was just hungry….Damn Draja! I told her to ask if she needed anything!

And then, all of the sudden, no warning, no nothing, the savage brute grabbed my arm and pulled me away from my Princess. The bitch! Needless to say, I was stunned! What in the name of the Fates was she doing?! Was she suicidal or something?!

" Wh….?"

" I almost opened my own hospice, you know? I'm an expert." she boasted,literally leaving me agape. Was that supposed to mean anything?!...And there it was again, that large, silly smile….And the way she was batting her eyelashes…was she flirting with me?! Neah….it couldn't be….I must have been seeing things…

"A hospice…." I incredulously repeated, arching my eyebrows at the information.

"Yep…"she answered proudly, while wrapping another piece of cloth around Xena's shoulder and waist.

"To treat the dead?" I immediately challenged. I couldn't help myself, really. I just had to take advantage of the opportunity.

Mocking her each time I get the chance has been one of my favorite hobbies for the past year, and the fact that she had had the guts to imply that** I** –** the God of War -** don't know the first thing about treating an injury….that was unpardonable…

"The wounded. " she made sure to clarify while taking yet another piece of cloth from the nightstand...Was she trying to turn my Princess into an Egyptian mummy?

"The wounded dead?"

" Ha ha! Laugh all you want , but you have to admit that's pretty impressive. I can be a very tenacious woman** if** properly motivated…" she added, drilling me with her gaze, and making sure to bite her lower lip in the most ridiculous, sluttish way I have ever seen….

Just to spell it out for everyone, I have always hated this type of women- the ones that represent no challenge at all, the ones that require no special effort what so ever and that I can fuck whenever and however I want because a mere snap of my fingers would be more than enough to have them knelling at my feet while unfastening my belt….She obviously made no exception….

" I would have never cared enough to guess.." I made sure to let her know, aware of just how deep that must have cut.

" Ouch! " my Princess suddenly exclaimed, frowning a bit when the Harpy touched her shoulder.

"Hey! Watch it!" I jumped, barely restraining the need to grab her by the hair and drag her out of the room….Xena's discreet sign to leave her alone, unfortunately forced me to swallow my own words….

"Did I press too hard…? Sorry….I guess I don't know my own strength…" she mumbled the excuse, only making me wanna wipe the floor with her even more.

" So….about that hospice….What happened? Why didn't you open it up?" I asked, trying to break the awkward silence that followed or better said, trying to divert my attention from that ceaseless voice in my head telling me to slap her silly.

" I realized I didn't belong there…"

The thought itself made me laugh….

" Allow me to disagree….That would definitely be the right place for you…"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear the sarcasm in your voice…" she bit this time, looking almost….hurt….Score one for the War God- for me that is . I sure hadn't lost my touch.

"Don't. I meant every word! " I stung , and my reward came the very next second when a shade of dissatisfaction darkened her face. Oh, the joy!

" You know…come to think about it, I'm feeling unusually generous today!" I continued as a marvelous idea flashed through my mind…I couldn't be** that** lucky though…." I could donate one of my temples to you. You could …treat the healthy, sicken the dead, experiment on kidnapped children…and eat organs or whatever it is was that you wanted to do in the first place….You could rot there for the rest of your life, doing what you like most…" I said- a priceless suggestion, you have to admit it.

" Very funny…" she barked, feigning a very artificial smile. "You know Ares….."

"Hmmm?"

"I think we started off on the wrong foot here, you and I" she continued, rising from the bed, a very familiar fever in her eyes as she came closer to me….

It was official…The Bard had gone cuckoo…..

"….For Xena's sake , we should try to get along."

….Crazy indeed….

**XXX **

I could definitely tell that something was wrong with Gabrielle….She wasn't acting like her normal self, and that goofy smiled plastered on her lips whenever Ares looked at her….Something wasn't quite right…

Whatever it was though, it could wait…And all the attention that she was giving Ares had at least momentarily pulled me out of the spotlight….He loved teasing her- he hated her with a passion so his attitude wasn't precisely surprising,….He still saw her as one of the main reasons why I had been ignored him all that time, as a firm anchor that was keeping me away from him, away from his grasp….

Perfect! It was exactly the diversion I needed to keep his mind busy, and to give me a bit of space and time to think about everything that he had said….

"That's the best thing I've heard all day. "I rushed to agree once I heard my friend's proposal, partially thrilled by the perspective of him getting a taste of his own medicine for once…

He simply pretended that he had missed my remark, just like he always did whenever he was forced to deal with something that he didn't like. Instead, he mockingly examined Gabrielle's state for a couple of seconds.

" No alcohol…her pupils aren't dilated….No visible sign of head trauma….Do you have any case of dementia in the family? Even distant relatives count…" he asked, in an almost professional tone, rubbing his goatee pensively.

"I'm serious…"Gabrielle answered, rolling her eyes at his childish reaction.

"Me too." he replied, casting a bemused glance my way. I tried hard not to burst into laughter…Encouraging him was definitely not a good idea.

"No. …sorry to disappoint you. " Gabrielle's line came with no delay.

" Oh….Well, no need to worry about it, anyway- the getting along thing-… We can definitely keep avoiding each other, stay out of each other's way…that should solve the problem…."

" No, no, no! I insist. We should spend some time together, that's what we should do! " my friend quickly contradicted, her hand now smoothing down the collar of his leather vest.

"Sound like a plan!" I made sure to intervene, smiling candidly while digging an even deeper hole for him to jump into….."You should definitely make an effort to find common ground…"

" A ridiculously lame idea." he defensively protested, panic now written all over his face…" Plus, that's not even a plan, that's a suicide mission. "

" Don't be such a baby! It will help us discover new things about each other…." Gabrielle tried to reason with him, paying no mind to the fact that he had just pushed her hand away from his chest in an almost brutish manner.

" What I know about you is more than enough, thank you..!"

" Don't be so sure….You might be surprised…" she replied in a honeyed tone that was definitely meant to be seductive, but that for Ares must have sounded completely repulsive. I know him far to well to tell that he has never been the fan of any type of upfront approach when it comes to women… In his twisted vision, there are only three types of females on the planet anyway :** the sluts**- the existence of which he occasionally appreciated when he was blind drunk- ** the virgins**-which he has always considered mentally disturbed - and** I... **

" Once we bond…." Gabrielle continued only to be swiftly interrupted by his cynical sneering.

"**Bond?!** **You **and** I**?**"** he incredulously asked, flashing her a deadly glare. It was a ridiculously funny situation really, but- despite my previous few hours of sleep- I was so exhausted that I could barely keep my eyes open….I couldn't help wondering what had happened to Gabrielle though…Bacchic wine most likely, my brain automatically offered the answer….Ares used to stash his temples with bottles…

"Yeah! Why not?!"

"Because it's against the laws of nature….What planet are you coming from? Gods and Harpies don't mix well..!" he fought back, his suddenly restless gaze shifting from her to me more and more frequently, probably waiting for a life saving intervention from my part…It never came though, on the contrary..

" Aressss!" I reprimanded, frowning lightly at his statement.

" She wants **to bond**." he announced as if I hadn't been there all that time, watching them bicker.

" Nobody died because of that, Ares…" I critically retorted, refusing to help.

"….Up to now…" he answered on the tone of a frightened little girl who was right about to be eaten by the big, bad wolf…He was such a baby sometimes!

" Don't worry! I won't bite…" Gabrielle tried to help him relax…." Unless you want me to!"

She was definitely drunk….

"Xena?" he asked in a small, barely audible voice. This time, despite the burning pain in my shoulder, a wave of impossibly to repress laughter seized me. The scene was absolutely hilarious.

"You should give it a try! We might be here for awhile... The least you could do is find a way to be in the same room for five minutes without biting each other's head off…Now get out of here, both of you and let me rest. I can hardly keep my eyes open!"

**XXX **

Needless to say, that kind of statement was all the incentive the Bard needed in order to grab a hold of the War God's arm and storm merrily out the door, without casting one single glance behind at her wounded friend…

" Shall we? We have a lot of catching up to do….a lot of unfamiliar territory to discover…."

"We do?! "

"Sure we do….What would you like to start with….? I could tell you all about my scrolls and you could tell me about your …**sword**…or about your …**passions**…"

"About my** passions**?"

"….Yeah, you know, hobbies and stuff, what else?! Oh you bad boy you!...I swear I could listen to that sexy voice of yours all day long!….Did I just say that out loud?! she giggled, pinching his butt.

" Hey! No touching, Bard! That's sexual harassment!" the God shrieked, his hand pulling almost instinctively the sword out of his leather scabbard.

" What?! I heard you like it rough….!" Gabrielle explained, totally unimpressed by the fact that he was holding the razor sharp blade against her neck. " And, I also heard that you can be the perfect gentleman when you want to, so there's no need to start screaming like a lunatic, ok? "

"Did Xena say that?!" he quickly asked, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Forget about Xena. She's bleeding…**resting**…" she quickly corrected her mistake. " Let's talk about something else…"

"I don't do talking."

"Sure you do! You know what your problem is?! You haven't found the right woman yet to make you want to let it all out, that's all!"

It was the dumbest thing the God had heard in years….Actually he had been sharing a love-hate relationship with that precise type of woman for awhile now….The only question was how to get her to trust him again….

**XXX **

The dark haired, petite Olympian made an appearance as soon as Draja called out her name.

"Speak up, priestess. I don't have all day."

" I have news, my Goddess….."


	15. Magic soup

A mute scream followed by a low, animalistic moan escaped my throat, slashing the silent darkness of the room as I accidentally shifted in my sleep, unconsciously placing all my weight on my severely wounded shoulder.

My eyes widened immediately with the excruciating pain that flashed from somewhere inside my clavicle through the length of my arm up to the very tip of my fingers, and Good Gaia, for a few agonizing seconds it felt as if someone had ripped my arm off. The intensity of the pain left me breathless and the racking sensation that -despite my inability to see anything in the room through that thick veil of obscurity -the world itself was spinning with me , was making me feel even worse.

Another groan, louder and considerably more expressive this time, distracted my attention from the intense urge to throw up.

The very following seconds were a blur, and the only thing I could still hear was the sound of my own teeth grinding in pain along with a disturbingly strident sound that I couldn't possibly identify.

When I could finally see again and when the light returned to my eyes, the first thing I was able to distinguish was his utterly concerned face. A few more moments had to pass for me to realize that his arms were wrapped tightly around me – just like they should have been- and that I was no longer laying in bed, that he had lifted me into a sitting position, carefully arranging the pillows behind my back, probably in the attempt to make me feel more comfortable.

Only when he noisily snapped his fingers inches from my face, did my mind manage to find its way back from the pain induced trance and it was only then that I was finally able to hear his voice and to actually understand what he was telling me.

" Hey! Snap out of it ! Can you hear me ?"

Nothing came out of my dry, barely parted lips, but my short nod spoke for me.

" Good. Breathe, Princess….breathe deep…." he ordered and without even realizing that I was doing it, my lungs had already decided to follow his orders, filling again with air.

" That's a good girl. Now drink this…." he urged, placing a cup full of a green, strangely looking and awfully smelling liquid at my lips. "It's gonna numb the pain for awhile. "

Before I knew it, despite the initial repulsion and a first attempt to refuse the sickening mixture, I drank more than half of it under the sound of Ares' almost paternal encouragements. I suddenly felt like late sixteen all over again, back in the days when he used to bandage my wounds and nurse me back to health more often than I would have deserved.

"Ok, Sweetheart….." he said, wiping the beads of sweat – that I hadn't even been aware of up to that moment- from my forehead with a wet piece of cloth, and to this day, I can't really tell if it was the light blue energy radiating from his palm a few instants later- right above my aching shoulder- or that heart melting mixture of unveiled affection and concern in his eyes that put an end to horrendous suffering, but something definitely did…..And for once during those tormentingly long minutes, I could finally think straight….

" Better?"

"Yeah….."

" Oh! It speaks! Just when I lost all hope…." he tried to joke, an effort I couldn't yet fully appreciate. " You scared mo to death...again. You've been doing that a lot lately, come to think about it. Are you trying to give me a heart attack ?!"

" Something like that. I would pat myself on the back for it, but it would be no fun with my left…."

We both shared a laugh at the bitter irony in that line.

"Well, at least your sense of humor is still intact…."

"What time is it? How long did I sleep? "

" Past midnight…..Six, seven hours….- not long enough, if that's what you're asking."

"I don't feel tired. "

" That's always a good sign. " he replied with a smile. " I know it's late, but since you're up, you should definitely eat something."

"I'm not hungry, thank you."

"You haven't eaten anything since yesterday, Xena. How do you expect to get better if you starve yourself to death? " he said without waiting for an answer. " Soup, fish or salad ? Or maybe all three of them?"

" Soup…" I sighed, rolling my eyes at him, aware that given his tone, there was no way out of that situation.

" Vegetable or chicken?"

" That's a pretty poor menu…Is that all you can cook?" I playfully bit, arching an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

" …So says the mighty Warrior Princess who can barely gut a fish…." he replied, suddenly in a more cheerful tone, relieved to see that I was actually feeling better.

" …Don't go believing everything you hear…"

" Right….For the sake of argument I'll just pretend I have lost my memory and I no longer recall that time when you nearly poisoned me – **a God-** with that so called **brown rice porridge**. So help me Chronos, your cooking alone could bring the Twilight on Earth, woman!"

" Funny you should say that….You almost licked the bowl clean."

" That's only because I was trying to impress you…" he explained, his sexy chuckle putting everything in a different light.

" You mean to **get under my skirt**…."

"Now that you mention it, I guess I might have been trying **to seduce you**…."

" …to fuck me…"

"That too…Can you blame me, really?!."

I playfully slapped his chest with my left hand.

"It's good to know that you can still use your other hand…I almost forgot you have two…" he said, laughing at my unusual clumsiness. " So….?"

I just laughed lightly in return and stared at him for what must have been forever, without really struggling to make an effort and understand what it was that he expected me to say- too busy with smothering that absolutely intolerable impulse to kiss him….That playful mood of his that I loved so much, that old familiar sparkle in his eyes, the delicate touch of his hand- now resting on my leg….I could distinctly feel his alluring, godly warmth , radiating from his palm through the thick fabric of the blanket covering the lower part of my body, and for some reason I couldn't help thinking that there was nothing I would have appreciated more at that moment than to have those hands tenderly gliding up and down my naked form….

As if having read my mind- he always does that, by the way- he applied a bit more pressure on my leg, his fingers squeezing gently the part right above my knee, and suddenly, I saw it- so clearly, so undeniably clearly again- that unique blend of desire, arousal and possession burning through his amber moons, making me shiver, filling me with an uncontainable sexual energy that flashed like electricity through every cell of my body, probably radiating at the surface of my skin in waves.

His gaze was still locked on mine seconds after a pretty naughty, involuntary fantasy began teasing my brain, and trapped as I was by the sheer magic of that erotic vision -of him settling his perfectly muscular body over mine , pinning my rebellious hands above my head- I completely missed the fact that he had been speaking all this time…..

"Xena?" I finally heard him repeating my name, obviously loud enough for me to hear.

" Hm?" I briefly questioned, casting him an intense, inquiring gaze that had nothing to do with whatever it was he was talking about.

" I know I'm the kind of man that women usually daydream about, but you do realize that in your case there's no reason why you should limit your desires to unsatisfying mental projections….We can always put into practice whatever scenarios you were picturing there…" he jokingly said with a wide grin that made me feel like a ridiculously silly, inexperienced teenager.

" You'd like that wouldn't you?!" I simply replied, trying not to draw even more attention on me, doing my best to feign indifference. As if things weren't clear enough…

" Trust me, there's nothing I would enjoy more. " he seductively answered, keeping a hint of amusement in his voice, and to my boundless relief there was no trace of sarcasm in it. He had obviously decided to let that one pass….**." So …." **he once again started, making sure to point out the word, thus keeping me focused on whatever it was he was going to say. " ….chicken or vegetable soup?"

" Vegetable." I murmured, finally realizing that my shoulder pain was completely gone- when I tried to move my arm to make myself a bit more comfortable.

" Tsk, tsk, tsk! You still want to use that hand in this lifetime, don't you? " he bit, acidly reminding me that it was better to keep it still for at least one full day. I couldn't help make a face at his strictness though. He's always overreacting when it comes to my injuries, regardless of their seriousness..

" Vegetable it is then." he resumed, making a bowl of marvelously looking, steaming soup materialize in his hand and a silver spoon in the other. " … The specialty of the house! " he boasted as if he had spent hours cooking it.

I initially chuckled at just how ludicrous the idea was, but I instantly froze when it hit me that he probably had every intention to feed me himself- an utterly intimate gesture that scared me to death despite its apparent casualness- and he immediately noticed the flicker of panic in my eyes as he started blowing over the hot soup that was supposed to make me feel brand new in no time.

"I can do it myself, you don't have to spoon feed me, Ares! I'm not a baby!"

" No , I don't** have **to**…**I** want **to. " he replied, his absolutely gorgeous eyes intently fixating me as if wanting to notice just how nervous he could get me to be….

" Relax, Xe…It's just soup….." he mildly added, slightly bemused by my childish hesitation. " Let me take care of you…" the rest of his line followed in an irresistibly protective tone that literally left me speechless.

"Open wide. " he whispered as he brought the spoon to my lips, and my mouth opened almost on its own, without waiting for my approval….

"How do you like it?"

"Huh?" I quickly asked this time- snapping out of my trance faster than before- unsure though that I could even string a sentence together at that point.

" The soup….is it ok?" he patiently repeated, once again placing a spoonful at my lips and I made sure to take advantage of the extra time I had to swallow to think things over.

" Just so you know, mortals eat pretty much anything when they're hungry..." I teased, and we even shared a laugh before he decided to strike back.

" It sure beats yours though….At least mine actually looks like food…."

"Hey! Watch it! "

"What?! It's the bare naked truth! " he exclaimed, adamant about defending his skills. "And wait! I haven't sampled anythingmadeby the Bard yet…! If yours is rat poison, I can only imagine hers… "

"Gabrielle is an amazing cook actually…" I contradicted.

"Right ! Don't hold it against me if I can't afford to take your word for it. I was supposed to be immortal, you know! Before I forget again**… a**bout **the Harpie**- she tried **to rape me**, Xena! I'm telling you, as soon as I go to Olympus, I'm getting a restraining order from Zeus. That savage won't be able to come anywhere within 100 yards from me! "

I just laughed at the perspective! To think that he used to call me a drama queen whenever I started yelling at him! Can you believe the nerve ?!

"She **pinched my butt! And** she slapped me in the altar room when I bent to pick an apple from the floor…- **twice**! "

" That hardly even qualifies as harassment, Ares!"

"**Excuse me?!** Do you have** any** idea how **used up** and….**worthless **I felt?! That's sexual abuse from here to Chin!"

I was really laughing now, barely able to chew on those vegetables. Ares feeling **used! **That was a new one!

" Come on, one more…" he encouraged, feeding me even the last drop of that absolutely divine mixture.

The scene ended with a brief but explosive kiss- absolutely unexpected may I add- that made my soul vibrate with an incredible joy….

" I don't know if it's the soup or not, but you sure taste good…" he murmured against my lips, licking them in the process. "….I would eat you up in a heart beat …."

Everything in me began to pulsate at his words.

**XXX **

Back in Draja's room, a plot was being woven…

"News, you say? What kind of news?"

"Good news…."

" **Good news**….I'm intrigued" the Goddess answered the priestess, displaying a wide, cattish smile.

" Xena's here. "

The Olympian's smile faded a second later.

" Here?! As in **here at the temple**!?"

"Yes, my Goddess. "

"And that is supposed to make me happy, because…? " she required to know, in a more than disgusted voice.

" She's hurt….**badly**. She nearly died this morning. "

" **Nearly**….what in the name of Zeus stopped her?!"

"Lord Ares of course."

"I should have guessed. She's all he's ever interested in, these days….Well….it's time someone changed that, isn't it?" she mused out loud , her eyes narrowing at the infinite number of possibilities spinning at the same time through her head.

" Do you have something in mind?"

" I sure do, priestess…I sure do…I will need your help though."

"Whatever it takes…"

**XXX**

At about the same time, Gabrielle was in her room and she had been keeping herself extremely busy ever since the War God had disappeared on her….She had a surprise for him and it was nearly done…


	16. Out of the game

"I don't know if it's the soup or not, but you sure taste good…" he murmured against my lips, licking them in the process. "I would eat you up in a heartbeat. "

Everything in me began to pulsate at his words.

" Would you now?" I seductively answered, unable to control my suddenly ragged breathing, and before I realized what I was doing, my index was languidly tracing the line of his strong, masculine jaw, my eyes mesmerized by the unique perfection of his beautifully chiseled lips, and as his warm hand moved once again at the back of my neck, gripping my hair and pushing me closer to him, tilting my head slightly to the side - so close that our lips were now brushing against each other- I could physically feel the fire burning inside him, a magnetizing, maddening heat that drove my body absolutely on the wall…..By all Gods I wanted him so much! All that time, I had done even the impossible to keep myself away from him, away from the bewitching effect he had on me, stubbornly refusing my body that primal, basic need to be with him, and there I was, on the verge of throwing everything away, crushed by the feeling that – in less than seconds- the strong wall separating us was going to come tumbling down like it had never even been there, regardless of my notable efforts to keep it standing, leaving me completely defenseless against him….

He didn't answer this time, no words were needed anyway, and though my reason kept screaming at me that I should have ended it all there, with that previously stolen kiss, my body refused to stop. It was like the fire that had ignited inside him had somehow spread inside me too, burning between my thighs, making me lose all judgment once the taste of his mouth invaded my senses again, and for a few brief moments everything went blank inside my mind, and as his lips pressed harder and his tongue pushed deeper, far more passionately than I could ever recall being kissed, I had that distinct feeling that everything around us froze in place- even time- and the only thing I could hear anymore were my low moans bouncing off the walls….

Just as things began to really heat up though, once again, a soft knock at the door followed by Draja's honeyed voice interrupted us, bringing me back to my senses, and pulling Ares' eyebrows together in a menacing frown.

"What do **you** want?" he snapped at her as soon as she entered the room, making her stop dead in her tracks before she took another step.

" I'm sorry my Lord. I had no idea you were here. I assumed you wouldn't be back tonight so I came to check on my Lady…."

"At this late hour?" he continued, on his trademark slashing tonality. "

" I was worried that the wound might have gotten infected….I brought some herbal tea- for the fever- just in case…." she answered, in a small, shaking voice, her gaze never leaving the floor, just like she knew she was supposed to.

"It's ok, Draja. " I intervened, gently pushing Ares a few inches away from me. "I wasn't sleeping anyway. Tea would be ….great…" I said, trying to smile as she slowly made her way towards the bed, not even daring to meet Ares' furious gaze.

For a split second, as she handed me the warm cup, our eyes met though and for the first time, in a very long time , I became self- conscious, suddenly aware of just how flushed my face must have been and how red and swollen my lips must have appeared as a result of the War God's hungry kisses.

I immediately shifted my glance to the silver cup in my hand, overly embarrassed by the whole situation.

" Thank you…" I murmured, taking a long sip from the deliciously aromatic drink, trying hard not to think at how trashy I must have looked.

" You're welcome my Lady…..Is there anything else I could do for you?" she inquired in an utterly sincere voice, taking two steps away from the bed, as if wanting to give me a bit of space- but she was more likely trying to hold herself at a safe distance from **her Lord**…

" Yeah. Go to sleep! " Ares rudely barked, staring daggers at her. " I'll watch over Xena for the night. "

" It's ok, Draja. Get some rest…" I rephrased, trying to somehow sweeten the War God's previous outburst, squeezing his hand lightly.

" Good night then, my Lady. …." she whispered. " My Lord." she added before turning around to leave, bowing her head respectfully.

"Ares!" I finally exploded once she was out the door. " Do you always have to scare the life out of them ?! She was just trying to be nice!" I said, taking another long sip from the cup- the perfect opportunity to maintain that blessed distance between us, hoping that the rich aroma of the drink would magically wash away his addictive taste from my mouth….I was obviously deluding myself….

" How's that tea?" he ironically bit, probably noticing that I was stupidly clinging on for dear life from that goblet, in a desperate gesture to get a grip of myself, hopelessly looking for that self control that I had completely lost during our last contact.

" Just what I needed…" I answered with a plastic smile, feigning to have missed the acid in his voice.

" I'm pretty sure that's not what you needed, but have it your way…." he remarked, gazing intently at my slightly trembling hands…" I think I'll let you enjoy it…."

An affectionate kiss – that I didn't actually deserve- on my forehead, crowned the night before he got ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" I suddenly heard myself asking in the alarmed voice of a paranoid house wife.

" I need to check on some wars…You know just how incompetent my generals can be….Those morons can't get one thing right…."

I had to chuckle at his frustration. I just couldn't help it.

" You've always said that sometimes the best man for a job is a woman …"

" Show off! " he immediately responded, arching a pensive eyebrow at my statement though. " There's just no one like you, Princess. One can't even find a decent warrior these days, let alone a general…"

I tried to wipe that smug smile off my lips but it was useless….

"Thank you." I simply answered, not really knowing what else to say.

" No need to thank me. It wasn't a compliment. It's the heart sickening truth of my life... " he replied, and the bitterness in his voice was like a slap in the face.

" Anyway.." he continued, without leaving me too much time to chew on what he had just said. " Make sure to get some more sleep will you? It was an exhausting day…."

I wanted to say something but no words came out. Instead, I clutched that accursed cup even tighter, smothering the desire to beg him not to leave….My needy gaze must have given me away though…

" Don't worry…It's in my arms that you'll wake up in the morning…"

With that , he vanished in a rain of blue sparkles, and, as I nervously gulped down the rest of my tea I suddenly felt my eyelids so very heavy that I could hardly keep my eyes open….Gods, I was so sleepy! ….

**XXX **

In the meantime, back in Draja's room, Discord was pacing back and forth like a caged lioness, her hurried, agitated steps meaning to calm her down somehow.

The instant the priestess returned, her eyes sparkling with visible enthusiasm, all her tension dissipated like fog.

" Did you do it?"

" I sure did. Mission accomplished!" the woman exclaimed, flashing the Goddess a devilish, conniving smile.

" Perfect! The Warrior Princess is officially out of the game!"


	17. The tears of Death

I don't really remember anything afterwards, but it must have been a couple of dark hours later when I was suddenly taken aback by the blinding light surrounding me, so bright that for a moment there I had to cover my already squinting eyes from the radiating diamond white that was literally burning my retina.

It took me awhile, but as I got used to that initially disturbing intensity and I was finally able to take a look around, to my boundless surprise I discovered that the surroundings were utterly familiar….I walked a few careful steps in the direction of the imposing oak tree dominating the hill and my heart just skipped a beat when, getting close enough to touch its thick , rugged bark, I noticed an **X** and an **L** engraved on it …. Tears began streaming instantly down my face, and with shaking hands I caressed the rough surface of the slightly fading letters ….

"Lyceus…" I murmured melancholically, biting my lower lip, bowing my head in defeat as old, painful memories assaulted my tormented heart at the same time as the sharp thorns of remorse began grazing its fragile walls.

" I can't believe the guilt is still haunting you…I could have sworn it on the head of Zeus that you managed to overcome it…." a strong, shooting voice came from behind, and I didn't have to turn around to see who it was, for I could recognize those inflections anytime, anyplace….."It wasn't you fault, Princess"

I gulped nosily part of my immense pain before I turned around rather annoyed that he had had the guts to transport me there without asking first. He should have known how bad it hurt , and by the Fates, he should have been at least aware of how much effort it had cost me to bury my regrets and all that guilt he was talking about…..How could he be that soulless and reckless, the Bastard?!

"Why did you bring me here?!" I broke out, spinning around to face him, eager to slap him silly. I could feel the fire burning everywhere inside me, flaring in my eyes, scorching my guts with the same intensity it was burning the tip of my tongue as I spoke, and as I rose my hand to smack him I could even feel the flames on the tip of my fingers, but in a split second, all that fury died out when I noticed the boundless sadness darkening his features….- a mirror of my own sorrow….

My hand stopped thus in mid air, not even close enough to his cheek to be considered a menace, but he didn't budge one inch anyway…As an answer to my so called outburst, he gently took my hand in his and pushed it until my palm was perfectly pressed against his warm face, his gaze never leaving mine, boring into me, searching for something behind the steely gaze that had been virtually cutting him into pieces earlier. As his eyelids finally lowered and his lips brushed against my palm, even the last ounce of my anger melted away, before he whispered the first words to me….

" I wasn't the one who brought you here , Darling. "

" What are you talking about? I sure didn't transport myself through the aether! The last time I checked, I was only mortal, Ares!" I snapped at him again, angry at my own embarrassing weakness….Just earlier that night the same thing had happened…One touch was enough for him to send my soul spiraling into another dimension….And it was not good, not good at all…As much and as desperately as I wanted him, I was still lucid enough to tell how wrong that was...

He only smiled and delicately pulled the robe off my shoulders, letting it fall in a heap to the ground, leaving me only in my shift, involuntarily painting a harsh frown on my forehead, and I was right about to explode in a series of memorable curses when the tips of his fingers touched my shoulder….my wounded shoulder….Or so it had to be….

" But how ….? When? You don't have the power to heal such injuries without Athena's blessing…"I murmured, staring in awe at my perfectly intact skin.

"No , I don't…" he pointed out, licking his lips as his hand lowered a bit, cupping my breast. I didn't even consider the possibility of mumbling the slightest protest...He pulled away just as fast anyway and his longing gaze lingered for a few moments on my hand- that was now casually resting on his chest- instead .

"Then how did you…..? "

"I didn't….." he simply answered, and that was when I finally noticed the concern in his eyes….It hadn't been sadness I had seen earlier, but worry…..He was worried sick.

" What's going on?" I asked, in a low, strangled voice.

" You're dreaming…."

"Oh…." I replied, relived to hear that it was all some awkward, nightly fantasy. So that was it…**a dream**….I was just being paranoid. " And you decided that it was high time you plagued my dreams as well huh?" I casually joked, shaking my head at the thought….He just couldn't stay away from me…Not even in my sleep I couldn't get rid of him….Not that I actually wanted to….

When no trace of smile softened his statue like face though, a cold shiver ran down my spine again. I couldn't help it….

The only good thing about it, was that this time I didn't have to find my words to utter the question…..As always, my eyes silently asked whatever they needed to know and he just answered, his voice slightly grave and unusually calm given the circumstances….I could feel the blood in my veins running faster at the implications…

" What is the last thing you remember?"

Ok….I was definitely starting to panic now….his thumb, sweetly tracing the contour of my lips now- was the only thing that was keeping the paralyzing fear out of my system.

" You…leaving. You went to check on some wars…Why do you ask?" I hesitantly answered in a small voice as if dreading my own words. My feet felt like jelly, and I couldn't really tell if it was from the dizzying arousal caused by his nearness or from the chocking terror creeping into my soul...What on earth could have happened to me?

"I came back at dawn…"

"And?"

" You were deeply asleep, so I didn't wake you up. I just laid in bed by your side and wrapped my arms around you, waiting for the hours to pass…"

I held my breath while he finished his little story.

" It was almost noon when I finally realized that something wasn't quite right….."

"Noon….?"

"Yeah…..I mean….I just assumed that you were exhausted with the wound and the pain, the previous day's events ….But you didn't move one inch throughout the morning and when I tried to wake you up, there was no reaction what so ever…"

" You mean I'm…..**dead**?!"

He laughed bitterly at my assumption.

"I think I would have known, Honey." he responded, while frowning a bit at something.

" What then?" I rushed to ask ,in a high, impatient tone.

" I don't know…..I just….I couldn't wake you up….."

" Ok….." I whispered, aware that things were anything but…"What did you do afterwards?"

" The first thing that crossed my mind...I projected an energy shield around us and entered your dreamscape…..And here I am….."

I gave his statement a second thought...

"Maybe you were right…..Maybe I was just very tired….."

" Xena…..Believe me, **I tried**….."

" Did you check my fever….?" I asked, clearing my throat nervously while searching for answers.

" Sweetheart…..You've been in my arms for the past six , seven hours. I would have noticed even the slightest change in pulse and breathing let alone body temperature…..You are physically fine…Except for that shoulder wound of course- which hasn't bled anymore by the way- you're ok…"

I was really confused now….

" I don't get it, then….Nothing unusual happened…..I must have fallen asleep after you left, that tea was sure calming enough to…." I instantly stopped as soon as the words rolled off my tongue and our facial expressions changed simultaneously at the very possible explanation.

" Damn it! …..What did it taste like, that accursed tea?"

"Do you really think that…..? " I inquired without finishing the sentence, but briefly considering that option " Ares, she wouldn't have dared. She knows you far too well….And….I'm your Chosen….Attempting to harm me in your own temple…..? That would have been suicide..."

" Maybe her hate for you was a bit more intense than the fear of what I'm going to do to her….."

"Do you think she would have risked **that** much?" I added, unable to accept that I could have been so wrong about someone.

"Can you think about anything else?" he replied, arching an eyebrow at me. " Tell me all about that tea, will you? ….Everything that you can remember…Taste, color…."

" Do you think it was poison?"

"I have no idea…."

I gulped nervously and I was ready to turn around but his hands, gripped my shoulders firmly holding me in place.

" Come on. Think about it. ….Taste, color, Princess….We need to find out what it was…."

" It was a herbal tea…..a bit sweet….."I answered, a bit irritated by the situation itself.

" What kind of tea? Made out of what?" he continued to push.

" Chamomile, hibiscus, cinnamon….and something that I couldn't quite detect…." I almost yelled at him and he just pulled me in his arms and held me tight for the following minute, waiting for me to calm down, brushing lightly his fingers through my waist long hair...I hadn't even noticed that my hair was unusually long ...What was wrong with me?

"You said it was sweet…..?" he finally questioned, placing a loving kiss on my forehead.

" Yeah…."

"Honey sweet…?"

"No." I frowned, trying to associate the taste with something familiar….."Opium…"

He sighed at my statement.

" Exactly what we needed right now….Whit Blondie gone mad and all…."

" Right…" I said, laughing at the perspective…"You'll be spending a lot of quality time together while trying to find a way to bring me back….." I answered, my eyes widening with shock the very following instant "Ares…." I started...

"Yeah?"

" Is it normal not to recall certain details in dreams…?"

He tried not to look flabbergasted, but his body suddenly went stiff, I could tell.

"I guess…..I don't dream much, you know…Why do you ask?"

This time, it was an absolutely impossible to control reaction. Tears welled in my eyes almost immediately.

"I can't recall Gabrielle's face….." I breathed out, the blood itself freezing in my veins at the realisation.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing" he laughed, doing his best not to sound as desperate as I had.

"Tell me…" I insisted, aware of the fact that he already had a pretty clear idea of what must have happened.

"It's just a hunch. It could be nothing, really. No need to worry, Xe….."

"Tell me, Ares…! "

His lips pressed together in a line as his gaze fixed the emerald green grass beneath our feet.

" The tears of Celesta are known to have similar effects…"

" The tears of Death?"

"The very ones…" he said, and for a minute I could literally feel the icy blue vault of the sky crashing over my head.


End file.
